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Avalanche, Canucks Meet with Playoff Stakes on the Line
The Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks are set for a crucial late-season showdown Thursday night in Denver, with both teams still eyeing playoff positioning in the Western Conference.
Colorado (48-27-4, 100 points) has a slim—but still possible—chance to leapfrog the Dallas Stars for second place in the Central Division. The Avalanche trail Dallas by six points with three games to play and will need a perfect finish, along with help from Dallas losses, to move up.
The Canucks (36-29-13, 85 points) remain alive in the wild-card race after a dramatic and historic win Tuesday night against the Stars. Trailing by three goals in the final minute of regulation, Vancouver pulled off the impossible, tying the game with two goals from Pius Suter and winning it in overtime on Kiefer Sherwood’s game-winner.
“It’s crazy the resilience,” Sherwood said. “I’ve never been part of a team that has so many crazy comebacks. When adversity hits, we just dig in.”
Suter’s late-game heroics brought his season total to 24 goals, ranking third on the team. Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk pace Vancouver with 25 goals apiece, while defenseman Quinn Hughes leads the team in points (74).
Avalanche Clinch Third, Look for Momentum
Colorado is coming off a shootout win over Vegas on Tuesday, which locked them into at least third place in the division and secured their fourth straight 100-point season. Despite the long odds at catching Dallas, coach Jared Bednar is still pushing for effort and execution down the stretch.
“We’re still doing some good things,” Bednar said. “It seems like we’re having a little trouble getting going for these games, which I understand.”
Nathan MacKinnon continues his chase for the Art Ross Trophy with 116 points (32 goals, 84 assists). Cale Makar is not far behind with 91 points, and trade acquisition Martin Necas has notched 81 points, including 11 goals in 27 games with Colorado.
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Injury Watch and Roster News
Center Ross Colton missed Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. The team is also monitoring captain Gabe Landeskog, who began a three-game conditioning stint with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Landeskog has missed nearly three full seasons due to a knee injury and hopes to return in time for the playoffs.
Series Context
This is the final regular-season meeting between the Canucks and Avalanche. Each game from here on out carries major implications for playoff seeding, confidence, and potential matchups. Both teams are heating up at the right time, setting up what should be a high-intensity battle in Denver.
