SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Avalanche entered Wednesday night among five NHL still standing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and just one win shy of reaching the Western Conference final for the first time since 2002.
Based on that alone, this been a successful season — particularly when looking at where the Avs were Feb. 12, after losing 5-2 at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL’s standings — with the last number representing overtime defeats — make every team look better than they are, but Colorado’s 22-23-11 record at the time meant 34 losses to just 22 victories.