It’s no secret that the Colorado Avalanche are carried by their top line. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog form arguably the best triple-threat combo in the NHL, and having a trio like that score most of your points is not a bad thing.
The Avs have struggled over the last several years to find scoring depth. This isn’t the only reason why I feel the team isn’t ready to take the “next step” towards being a true playoff competitor, but it is one of them. If the top line is being stymied at even-strength, the 2nd and 3rd lines have to be able to chip in and even up the score.