Pregame Avalanche Notebook

Cogliano might miss Game 1, plus Bednar's thoughts on Kraken, betting lines

Playoff game days are exciting, yeah? Especially that first one. White pom poms, national TV coverage, etc. It’s a feeling of reward and rebirth. Reward, for the season’s accomplishments to get this far. Rebirth as far as a new road ahead, with everybody’s records back to 0-0.

And so it is for your defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, who host the Seattle Kraken, a team only in its second year as a franchise.

I remain on record that I think it’ll be a sweep for the Avs. I just think this Kraken team is the classic “just happy to be here” kind of squad and just aren’t ready for this stage yet. That said, I do expect the games to be competitive and, no, won’t at all be shocked if the Kraken win a game or two.

But I just think this Avs team is dialed in again, with a healthy defense and a goalie who has been tremendous of late. I think the Kraken’s defense is, well, pretty average and I think they will have a very difficult time against Colorado’s top forwards.

But before I set myself up for the worst DaterJinx of all time, keep in mind that I am fully cognizant of the perils for top teams in the first round of the playoffs. In the last 20 years, in fact, defending Cup teams have been eliminated in the first round eight times. Lots of Presidents’ Trophy teams have been beat in the first round, too. Remember Tampa Bay tying the all-time NHL record for wins in a season (62, since broken this year by Boston) in 2019, only to get swept in the first round by Columbus?

I was the beat writer for some very good Avalanche teams that got bounced in the first round by severe underdogs, starting with 1998 when Edmonton beat the Avs in seven (the Oilers still are sending checks to former NHL discipline czar Brian Burke for suspending Joe Sakic for Game 1 of that series over a nothing collision with Kris Draper in the final game of the regular season).

The 2002-03 Avs, a very good team with Patrick Roy having one of his best statistical years of his career, were shocked in seven games by the Wild. Andrew Brunette scored the final goal of Roy’s career in OT of Game 7 and you could hear mouse droppings in the then-Pepsi Center, it was so quiet.

So, nobody’s taking the Kraken lightly. But, yeah, I still think it’s a sweep.

Some notes before Game 1 tonight: