Game 3 debate: Do Avs have shot at being one among biggest NHL champs of final 35 years?

Question: With a 14-2 report in playoffs, do the Avalanche have shot at being one among biggest NHL champs of final 35 years?

Mark Kiszla, sports activities columnist: While the Avs have shifted into overdrive, dashing down the final stretch of street to the Stanley Cup, it seems Tampa Bay has hit a wall, worn out bodily and emotionally after back-to-back championships. It feels as if this collection is likely to be throughout besides a budget pictures from the Lightning’s Corey Perry. So whereas no person within the Colorado locker room will look past the primary shift of Game 3, it’s not too early for the remainder of us to take a seat again and marvel at how the Avalanche has dominated these playoffs. If they sweep the Lightning, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and the boys cannot simply stake a declare to being the perfect group in franchise historical past, but additionally increase the banner for probably the most spectacular championship run for the reason that prime of Wayne Gretzky. As nice because the Great One? That’s once-in-a-generation hockey greatness.

Ryan O’Halloran, sports activities reporter: Was it lower than a month in the past I used to be strolling out of Ball Arena after the Avalanche’s Game 5 come-from-ahead time beyond regulation loss/collapse towards St. Louis pondering the Avs had been in hassle? Starting with the third interval of Game 6 towards the Blues, the Avs have turned it on (7-0 report). A sweep of the proud Lightning or perhaps a gentleman’s sweep (5 video games) ought to put the Avs (14-2 within the playoffs) into the Best Cup Playoff Run class of the final three-plus a long time. Ten years in the past, Los Angeles went 16-4. The three Chicago title groups went 16-6, 16-7 and 16-8. And the back-to-back Detroit groups in 1997-98 went 16-4 and 16-6, respectively. The Avs are getting into uncommon territory … and rightly so.

Sean Keeler, sports activities columnist: A shot? They’re already there. Wanna speak historical past? Only 4 different groups in NHL annals earlier than these Avs managed to rack up 14 wins over their first 16 Stanley Cup tilts. Wanna speak elevating the bar? Colorado’s ’96 champs posted a mean victory margin of plus-1.32 objectives in 22 playoff video games; the ’01 Cup winners registered a plus-1.22 objectives over 23 video games. The present Avs are beating groups by a mean of two.13 objectives per sport — nearly double the ’01 tempo. Wanna speak firm? Only two NHL groups have ever scored seven or extra objectives in a postseason extra occasions than the Avs’ 4 video games this spring — the 1984 Oilers (six) and ‘85 Oilers (also six). When you’re driving shotgun with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, you’re driving with kings.