Dater: This, Too, Shall Pass

I'm not worried

What am I worried about today? Well, my weight is a little too high. I wish my joints didn’t ache so much at times. Jarrett Stidham having a Cinderella game tomorrow against my New England Patriots.

The Avs?

Nah. This is just called a midseason little slump, folks. It would have happened anyway, but it was especially going to happen when the team’s captain and best defensive defenseman went down with lengthy injuries.

The Western Conference title is still in the bag. People are forgetting this right now, but not only do the Avs have a 10-point lead on both Dallas and Minnesota, but they also have three games in hand on each team. That’s six potential free points to keep ahead of them. The top Pacific team, Vegas, is 15 points behind and the Avs have a game in hand on them, too.

I guarantee one other thing is at play right now, too: Players have the Olympic break on their minds. Players are no doubt making vacation plans. It’s a distraction to their regular season routine. I’ve seen this firsthand before. Players all have a “we’ll only be together for a week or so” vibe, then get three weeks off.