Colorado Avalanche consolidate squad strength with fresh hiring to avoid last year’s meltdown-NHL News
The Colorado Avalanche are desperate to reach the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs from the Western Conference this year and avoid repeating the last year’s embarrassing performance.
Avalanche were well on the course to the playoffs in the 2010-2011 NHL season, but the second half meltdown forced them down at 29th position on the league’s final standings.
The side seeks to avoid repeating the last year’s performance, and has taken all the possible precautionary measures to ensure that their aim of playing the second round of the league remains intact.
With as many as 19 games left to end the regular season this year, Avalanche have so far recorded 68 points, trailing the eighth-ranked Dallas Stars by only two and by only three points to seventh-ranked, San Jose Sharks.
They have so far reached the last year’s total score of 68 points, and with so many games still to play they are aiming to consolidate the position and extend the lead.
Avalanche’s general manager, Greg Sherman, said:
"This year we're about winning."
He was referring to the trade of forwards, Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi, with the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the left wing, Jamie McGinn and two prospects, which he said will strengthen the squad.
Monday, February 27, 2012, was the last day of the NHL trade market and the manager made it sure they had all the right options on hand to utilise at the time of need later in the season.
Sherman said of McGinn:
"He's a two-way player; he can play 200 feet of the ice. He's leading his team in hits and he's another 23-year-old player we are adding to the line-up. When you look at the element he brings along with Steve Downie, we're shoring up our offense. Downie
obviously brings an element of both grit and skill. Jamie McGinn is another piece up front.”
He said that the kind of the ability the team has acquired at this time of the season reflects on its priority of progressing in the league.
Avalanche are young side and with the added strength they stand an opportunity to boost their winning chances and reaching the playoffs.
The management had come under fire over mishandling the situation in the later part of the 2010-2011 NHL season, eventually losing the opportunity of playing in the playoffs.
Now they have apparently attempted well by bringing in more players for the weaker positions to avoid the humiliation this year.
The manager said he was happy over the progress made so far and hoped the continuation of the same level of form and performance for rest of the season.
He is optimistic about on the team’s chances of playing the second leg of the NHL this season.
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