No one thought the Colorado Avalanche to be in this position. At the time of writing, they have moved to within a point of the last Western Conference playoff spot. They do have more games in hand as compared to the team ahead of them in the standings. ( St.Louis, Anaheim and Los Angeles)
In other words, the Avs are playing meaningful hockey in March.
Colorado ‘s record of 34-24-5, good for 73 points, is a lot better than predicted before the season. Recently they seem to have gained some confidence , which they will need. The team knows that they have to play every game with a playoff mentality.