Three Reasons Why The Colorado Avalanche Will Win The Stanley Cup

by Mike

The Colorado Avalanche team of the past two seasons can only be described as weird. In 2011-12, the team made a push towards the playoffs early in the season and then sunk to the depths of the Western Conference basement after the All-Star break. During the shortened 2012-13 season, it seemed like the Avalanche could not generate any kind of consistency. But, yet, it was this weird Colorado team that snapped the winning streak of the Chicago Blackhawks. Why is that weird? It was weird because as soon as the Avalanche snapped Chicago’s streak, the team once again plummeted to the basement of the conference.

The Colorado front office knows that it has a good, young team on its hands, but the team lacked a real leader. Now that Patrick Roy is behind the bench in Colorado, this team has become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Patrick Roy

As a rookie head coach, Patrick Roy was initially unable to control the fiery passion that made him a great player. Roy made headlines early this season when he was pushing over the glass that separates his team from the opposition on the benches and threatening the well-being of Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau. Roy has learned to manage his passion a little better, but he has not altered his focus at all. Hiring Roy was a risk for Colorado because Roy has a reputation for being a trouble-maker. But after just 20 games in his first season as an NHL head coach, Roy has shown that he can guide this talented team of rookies to a championship.

SemyonVarlamov

SemyonVarlamov first entered the hockey world’s radar when he played outstanding hockey in the playoffs for the Washington Capitals. But injuries and an inability to cope with being the top goalie soon had him dropping off that radar screen as quickly as he appeared on it. The Colorado Avalanche saw something in Varlamov and took a chance with him. For two seasons, Varlamov struggled as the Colorado goalie. As soon as Patrick Roy showed up in Denver, Varlamov found his game and is now one of the top goalies in the league. Coincidence? Nope. Part of the reason why Roy is in Colorado is to help Varlamov. So far, it seems to be working out just fine.

Veterans

The Avalanche knows that it has a young team, so it went out and got some veterans to help bring the kids along. Veterans like Cory Sarich and Andre Benoit were brought in to solidify the defense and bring some veteran leadership to the locker room. The Colorado Avalanche was busy during this offseason and it looks like the team made the kinds of moves it needed to make to create a Stanley Cup contender. This will definitely be a team to watch for the 2013-14 season and beyond. With a strong and young core in place, Patrick Roy may be lifting the Stanley Cup in Colorado yet again. By following Northbet on Twitter you can get the latest updates about this potential championship team, and you can check out some of the latest Northbet reviews to see what other sports fans have to say.