The Avalanche Don’t Need Perfection — They Need Championship Resolve

The Colorado Avalanche will not be going 7-0 to start the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, a truth that many fans of the more fickle variety are struggling to cope with.

Avs have just crapped the second round bed! Stick a fork in them, they are done!

— The Schmidtuation (@1_Schmidtuation) May 10, 2026

Not Gabe Landeskog, though, who said, “This is what we expected, and if you didn’t, I think you are a bit naive.”

This is a been-there-done-that moment for most of the guys on the Avalanche squad, as eight players from the 2022 Stanley Cup championship team are still leading the group, but it still presents a pivotal moment inside this aspiring cup run.

“Short memory, learn from it, and move on.”

Hear from Captain Gabriel Landeskog after the loss ⏬ pic.twitter.com/swEUrSUC7f

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) May 10, 2026

The Colorado Avalanche tapped the keg, chilled the lines, and are pouring into round two vs. the Wild with a 2-1 series lead, scoring at a 5 goals a game pace.

It’s not about goal differential or pace this time of year; it’s about winning every night, and that focus is something only the most hardened competitors can navigate and truly understand.

So what characteristics will bubble to the surface this year for the Avalanche?

If the answer isn’t championship resolve, focus, and response, then this party will end, and all the patrons will head home, wondering why they even showed up.

I think there’s a good chance this gig rages long into the night with many more instances of ‘The Fate of Ophelia,’ but like it or not, the Avalanche have met hurdle number one of who knows how many if that’s what they are going for.

The ‘Response’ Siren

We are going to hear the word ‘response’ at borderline propaganda levels, but I want to be clear: this isn’t about the Avalanche to the Minnesota Wild.