The Colorado Avalanche were in a concerning free-fall as the trade deadline approached, plummeting from the top of the Central Division standings to a neck-in-neck race with the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks just outside the Wild Card spots. The St. Louis Blues got hot just as the Avalanche got cold, and an excellent Jordan Binnington in St. Louis made for a stark contrast with Semyon Varlamov and Philipp Grubauer’s inability to make a save as the Avalanche found themselves on the outside looking in.
When the Avalanche needed him most, though, Varlamov stepped up and brought his old game form back.