Renck: Pete DeBoer wanders into Denver gathering jars of hearts, tearing our love for the Avs aside. Because the Avs squandered a two-goal lead in Sport 7, this went past harm. This was a choke. Colorado ran out its finest staff since profitable the Stanley Cup in 2022, and couldn’t escape the primary spherical. This sort of playoff demise spawns anger and calls for a full post-mortem. It raises the query as change percolates within the air. Who’s extra in charge: basic supervisor Chris MacFarland or coach Jared Bednar?
Keeler: It takes a village to burn a dream. Do you solid blame on the toes of the man who’s by no means gained a Sport 7, in Bednar? Or the man who traded Mikko Rantanen, in MacFarland? For me, it’s each. Now, to be clear, CMac didn’t commerce the Moose to Colorado’s new greatest postseason rival — that may be hockey madness. However let’s even be actual: Rantanen isn’t a Star, and isn’t sending you house with a hat trick, if MacFarland doesn’t surrender on contract talks and ship him to Carolina in January for depth elements. It appeared like the proper concept on the time — so long as you by no means, ever noticed an indignant Rantanen once more within the postseason till the Stanley Cup Finals. Yeah, whoops.
Renck: Each left their DNA at American Airways Middle. MacFarland deserves credit score for overseeing an in-season HDTV roster makeover. His haul for Mikko Rantanen, each within the commerce to Carolina and the items added due to the cleared cap area, offered hope for one more Cup. He slid all his chips into the center of the desk — which we love — however ignored the awkward match of Brock Nelson, and allowed himself to carry out the silly math that a number of complementary items add as much as a greater choice than Rantanen within the playoffs. The Avs wanted to commerce Rantanen to shake up the locker room, however MacFarland landed terrific regular-season gamers who became postseason ghosts.
Keeler: CMac had the proper concept, however his items let him down. The season turned on that Moose commerce, didn’t it? Solely we presumed, for months, that it’d turned for the higher. Necas clicked fairly shortly with Nathan MacKinnon, whereas Mikko appeared pretty depressing in Raleigh. And, in hindsight, that was the issue. Sending an all-time Avs legend to a hockey wasteland in Tobacco Street got here again to chunk the burgundy and blue in in regards to the worst method conceivable. Which, in hindsight, additionally emboldened Rantanen’s need to get out of Carolina, and doubtless emboldened his need to land proper again within the West ASAP.
Renck: MacFarland is far simpler to defend than Bednar. He’s the best coach in Avs’ historical past, but it surely seems like he has reached his expiration date. Colorado was purported to be the Chicago Blackhawks of the 2010s, profitable three titles. As a substitute, the Avs have grow to be the Braves of the Nineties, a one-hit marvel. Bednar acquired outcoached once more, particularly on particular groups. He’s Mike Tomlin to DeBoer’s Invoice Belichick. So if the Nuggets can axe Michael Malone, it’s honest to maneuver on from Bednar whereas Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar stay of their prime.
Keeler: Whereas the Avs are bruised, they’re not remotely damaged. They may quickly be gazing a crossroads, although, given their cap scenario and lack of big-time draft chips obtainable to maneuver. It’s uncannily just like the Nuggets’ present profile, minus the interior workplace drama. With MacKinnon and Makar, Bednar may win 45-50 video games within the common season for the subsequent decade — simply. He’s superb. They’re superb. However in addition they knew this Dallas collection was coming for weeks — not days. That they had time. That they had the personnel. Nonetheless blew it. Bedsy feels a bit of just like the Avs’ George Karl proper now. And it’d take a tough reset of your complete entrance workplace — MacFarland included — to get Nate and Cale to elevate a minimum of yet one more Cup.
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