The NHL Christmas break has arrived and for the Colorado Avalanche, it couldn’t come at a more ideal time. For three days, every team in the league is off and allowed to rest. The Avalanche, however, will be off until Saturday when they will practice before a Sunday meeting with the Arizona Coyotes, totaling six days between games. Due to a loss to the Maple Leafs on Monday night, many of the Avalanche players might prefer that they had an opportunity to bounce back and could play a game sooner, but the fact is, the Avs are going to benefit greatly from the rest.
The Avalanche have had a grueling road schedule in the first few months of this season. The longest road trip in franchise history, primarily to the East Coast, soon followed by another trip out east, has given Colorado some of the most miles traveled up to this point in the year. Of the 35 games the Avalanche have played so far this season, 20 of them have been on the road, good for third most in the NHL to this point. Having played 21 games in 41 calendar days in 15 cities, there is an obvious appeal to having almost an entire week off for rest and recovery. Considering the injury struggles that plagued the Avalanche last season, it is surprising to see that they head in to this break with minor injury issues after such an intense work load.
Speaking of an intense workload, the Christmas Break will be most important for the goaltenders. Semyon Varlamov tied his season-high in consecutive starts during the last Avalanche win streak. In Varly’s first eight games of this month he went 7-1 and his lowest individual game save percentage during that stretch was a .944, but then a bad game against the Leafs showed his fatigue. Against Toronto, Varlamov let in six goals on 21 shots, a game where head coach Patrick Roy said Varly looked tired.
Despite being worried for his goaltender, Roy was unable to relieve Varlamov from the game because backup goaltender Reto Berra had injured his ankle playing pregame soccer. Berra was able to dress with a taped ankle but was only going to be used in an emergency situation. Ankle mobility is important for goalies, so rather than risking further injury in relief for Varlamov, Roy rested Berra and left Varlamov in the game. Results from Berra’s MRI will be revealed Saturday, but regardless of those results, the long rest will be critical for the recovery of both Avalanche goalies.
Defenseman Nate Guenin left the game Monday night against the Maple Leafs with a possible concussion. Guenin had played in eleven consecutive games, earning his spot in the lineup through stronger defensive play. On the third pairing with Zach Redmond, Guenin has been playing anywhere between 11 and 14 minutes a night and has had adequate, consistent play as of late. Guenin’s absence would leave the Avalanche short in a defensive group that lacks depth to begin with. Both Nate Guenin and the Avalanche will benefit greatly from his ability to rest in the upcoming days. Brandon Gormley is available to replace Guenin in the lineup if need be, but Roy has been hesitant to give Gormley consistent time in the lineup all season. Guenin’s timetable for return remains unknown.
The Christmas break has come at an opportune time for the Avalanche. As 20 teams had to play the night before the break and 18 NHL teams have to get back to playing games the first day the league returns, the two days off for the Avalanche seems like a gift from the NHL. A gift in compensation for the abundance of road games and travel the scheduling department forced upon the Avs up to this point in the season. After a successful difficult stretch and an exhausting loss to Toronto, it is a gift the Avalanche should embrace and use it to truly rest, recover and regroup.
The Avalanche play four out of their next five game at home. They will face-off against the Arizona Coyotes at home on Sunday in the first night of a back-to-back before traveling to face the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Avalanche are five points behind the Nashville Predators who currently hold the final playoff spot with 40 points.
