MHH Roundtable: New Year’s Resolutions

1 week ago  /  Mile High Hockey

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images


Starting off 2025 on the right foot! With the dawn of 2025 upon us, we have some suggestions for Colorado Avalanche New Year’s resolutions. Taking a five-game win streak into the new year is fantastic but there’s always a couple things to focus on for continued improvement.
Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions for Avalanche forwards?
Evan: The Avs need to be more effective on special teams and in 5-on-5 play. They've had their moments on both but have been inconsistent. Whenever 5-on-5 is working, the power play isn’t, and vice versa. Luckily, the penalty kill has been pretty good all season long, but it’s a matter of putting it all together to continue winning, which will help the Avalanche succeed.
Jess: Not to completely echo Evan’s sentiment, but just consistent production is the one I have for the forwards. Production will go through ebbs and flows all season long for all 32 teams, but I’d love for the forwards to consistently have games where they’re contributing at both 5-on-5 and on the power play, not just contributing via one or the other night in and night out.
Jackie: I’d like to see the forwards grouped as a top-nine rather than a top heavy set-up. Getting Ivan Ivan involved back in the top nine should be a goal and as I outlined, such move could be beneficial for Casey Mittelstadt. The Avalanche top line in various combinations leads the league in Time On Ice at any given moment, and that’s not the greatest plan for sustained success.
Adrian: I’m hoping the forward group begins to settle a bit regarding roles and responsibilities. Like anything else in life, consistency is key, and defending as a forward group requires heightened reliability and predictability. To put it plainly, I want less Blendnar, explicitly regarding the top 6, PP, and PK units.
Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions for Avalanche defensemen?
Evan: I’d love to see the continued trust and push up the lineup for Sam Malinski. He was a guy everyone thought would make the team pretty easily at the end of last season, but he had to earn in during training camp. Since then, he’s stuck and been brilliant. When Josh Manson was recently out with injury, he was trusted in the middle pairing and looked great alongside fellow Sam with the last name Girard. Now he’s back on the bottom pairing and might not be at his best there alongside one of Calvin de Haan, John Ludvig, Oliver Kylington, or Keaton Middleton. Malinski should earn a spot on the middle pairing.
Jess: This one probably expands a bit to the forward core as well and might be more of a team defense one, but my resolution for the defensemen is to cover backdoor options consistently. I think it’s gotten better recently, due to either better team play, goaltending, or both, but for a bit, it felt like every other goal they gave up was a backdoor tap-in play that just went completely unguarded and unchallenged. And sure, sometimes you’re just going to give up those kinds of goals, sometimes teams make good plays, but you can’t constantly give up that option in games and expect to get bailed out every single time.
Jackie: Clear the crease, amirite? But really, more physicality from the defensive core just not in the old school way. For several years now there’s been a lack of focus and intensity behind their defending and I’d like to see a return to that mentality.
Adrian: I hope the same as my answer for the forward group, but ALSO, I’m ready for this Avs back-end to start sporting its offensive and transitional talents outside of Cale Makar. Sure, the blue line isn’t as deep in terms of a scoring touch as it once was, but I want more from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski. Also, Sammy G has to start hitting the net and getting pucks through traffic.
(Goalies are perfect so they don’t need any Resolutions)
Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions for the coaching staff or management?
Evan: Similar to the forwards, one of the resolutions for the coaching staff should come from the power play. It’s become stale and stagnant and needs some rejuvenation. Some work is certainly needed, and it starts with drawing up something new and different to get things running more consistently on the man advantage.
Jess: I could not agree more with Evan’s sentiment towards the power play. While they’ve started to click more and find some production there lately, before that, watching the power play was like getting teeth pulled. It was excruciating watching them do the same thing over and over again to no avail and refusing to try something new. And to Evan’s point again, right now it has become a bit predictable, so why not try something a little bit different?
Jackie: It’s been my resolution for the organization for over a decade but one year it has to stick, right? Make a viable plan to get talented youth on this team contributing in a regular role and prioritize executing it.
Adrian: It’s time to reward the youth in 2025. I want to see Cal Ritchie stay up with the bigs for the rest of his career.
Do you have any personal New Year’s Resolutions?
Evan: Is it too much to hope and pray for a Gabriel Landeskog return somewhere this year? It feels like now or never if it’s going to happen and with all the uncertainties, it would be all but a late Christmas miracle.
Jess: This one’s always easier said than done, but get healthy. You solved one of the biggest issues for this team already when the front office completely overhauled your goaltending tandem earlier this season, so now, just get healthy before April.
Jackie: I strive to catch every game possible and hate missing out but for my sanity I have to cut back on some of the insane hoops this team puts fans through just in order to watch a game. No more 2 a.m. streams on a European cruise, no more driving to a bar to watch a 9 p.m. puck drop because the game is on NHL Network and blacked out to the local fans, no more declining dinner plans because I have to watch a stream I can’t record. If the Avalanche wants me to watch they’ll have to come find me instead.
Adrian: Be less emotionally invested in the outcome of a sporting event in which I have no control or..... Actually, who are we kidding? I gotta eat more vegetables.
From everyone at MHH, we wish you a safe and happy 2025!...

Read Full Article.