Two years ago, the Colorado Avalanche steamrolled into the All-Star break, winning 11 of 14 games.<\/p>\n
The Avs had a tough schedule coming out of the break, and they stumbled through February with a 5-5-2 record before some additions just before the trade deadline helped reinvigorate the club. Colorado played its last game Wednesday night before the 2026 Winter Olympics, ending on a high note with a 4-2 win over the Sharks and reaching the hiatus with a league-best 83 points.<\/p>\n
Make no mistake, even the NHL frontrunners are ready for 20 days without a game to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we need it right now,\u201d Avs coach Jared Bednar said. \u201cI do. If we would have been rolling into this break, you\u2019d be (frustrated). You\u2019re always nervous about how you\u2019re going to come out of it. I\u2019m still nervous about how we\u2019re going to come out of it, but I think we need it right now. We haven\u2019t been playing fantastic hockey. We\u2019ve been grinding and fighting mental fatigue and just fatigue, physical in general, for some time. So I think the break is coming at a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eight of Colorado\u2019s players will travel to Italy for the Olympics, and won\u2019t get the rest their teammates are looking forward to. The Avs\u2019 schedule is going to be wild when the NHL returns \u2014 five games in the first seven days, and 27 in 51 nights total before the postseason.<\/p>\n
All of the franchise\u2019s goals are still in the Avs\u2019 control. Colorado will spend the break with a five-point lead in the Central Division, Western Conference and league standings, and will have three games in hand on division rival Minnesota to potentially widen that advantage.<\/p>\n
Given the grind to come, the Avalanche\u2019s historic first half of the season could very well come in handy. The first 40 games (31-2-7) were incredible, but Colorado has looked mortal in the past 15 contests (6-7-2).<\/p>\n
\u201c(We have been playing) OK,\u201d Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. \u201cI think we\u2019re just lacking a little juice. Playing pretty well defensively overall. I just think goals are kind of tough to come by right now. That\u2019s going to happen, though. You aren\u2019t going to score five a night for 82 (games). You want to produce every night, but it\u2019s tough. It\u2019s a hard league.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Gabriel](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2254665487.jpg\")
Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche battles Aaron Ekblad #5 of the Florida Panthers for puck control during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena on January 04, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato\/Getty Images)
\nMissing key pieces<\/p>\n
The recent results have been a cause for concern, but captain Gabe Landeskog was injured in Game No. 41, and should be back after the Olympics. Devon Toews also missed 13 of the final 15 contests, and then Martin Necas was absent for the two games the club\u2019s No. 2 defenseman was back for.<\/p>\n
There will only be five games before the 2026 trade deadline, which is March 6. The Avs might have looked like a Terminator for 40 games, but the past 15 have shown that even the Stanley Cup favorites could use some reinforcements.<\/p>\n
Other clubs will certainly be adding to try and level the playing field \u2014 the Los Angeles Kings are a potential first-round opponent for Colorado, and they just added an elite offensive weapon (Artemi Panarin) without subtracting from the NHL roster.<\/p>\n
The past month was uneven, but pull back and look at the season to date and the Avalanche remain formidable. Colorado leads the NHL in goals per game (3.84) and fewest goals against (2.42).<\/p>\n
The Avs are second in penalty-killing percentage (84.7%) and have allowed the joint-fewest goals while playing 4-on-5. They\u2019ve also allowed the second-fewest at 5-on-5, while scoring a whopping 25 more goals than anyone else at 5-on-5.<\/p>\n
Individually, MacKinnon is yet again one of the favorites for the Hart Trophy as league MVP. San Jose\u2019s Macklin Celebrini and Tampa Bay\u2019s Nikita Kucherov could be his toughest competition, but Edmonton\u2019s Connor McDavid and Boston\u2019s David Pastrnak are among a few others who are at least on the fringe of the discussion<\/p>\n
MacKinnon is pacing the NHL with 40 goals, and could win the Maurice \u201cRocket\u201d Richard Trophy for the first time. He\u2019s also three points shy of McDavid in the chase for his first Art Ross Trophy, and the Avs have three games in hand on the Oilers.<\/p>\n
Cale Makar\u2019s place as the clear favorite for the Norris Trophy looks less clear after the past month. He is tied for fifth in goals and tied for fourth in points among defensemen. He could use a statistical boost during the stretch run, because others like Zach Werenski in Columbus, Quinn Hughes in Minnesota and Moritz Seider in Detroit have made this a real debate.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2253781888.jpg\")
The Colorado Avalanche celebrate after Samuel Girard #49 scored a second-period goal against Carter Hart #79 of the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on December 27, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Avalanche defeated the Golden Knights 6-5 in a shootout. (Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images)
\nPower-play problems persist<\/p>\n
One obvious area of concern has lingered throughout the season, and the issue has been heightened of late when the Avalanche did not perform like a destroyer of worlds in the other phases. The power play has scored on 15.1% of its opportunities, which is last in the NHL.<\/p>\n
To make it even worse, the Avs have also allowed the most shorthanded goals (nine). Colorado has only outscored teams 12-7 with the extra man since the start of December. The Avs are 16-0-4 when they score a power-play goal, but 20 out of 55 games with one is stunning, considering the talent available.<\/p>\n
There have been a couple of false dawns, when it appeared maybe the club was figuring it out. But the Avs reached the break without scoring a power-play goal in eight games, and it is just 4-for-42 in the past 15.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think (the break) can do us some good,\u201d Bednar said. \u201cIt also gives us a chance to just kind of decompress mentally and come back more focused. It\u2019s sort of a new start to the season. I\u2019m confident in our guys that we will come out well.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it helps some like (with) the power play for guys to just get away from it and put their frustration away. Just start fresh and see where we go.\u201d<\/p>\n