With the Detroit Red Wings’ victory over the Nashville Predators tonight, the Colorado Avalanche have been mathematically eliminated from the playoff hunt.
That means the Las Vegas trip that Avalanche goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere ripped some of his teammates over before apologizing is safe to buy tickets for. The Avalanche can win as much as they want and it won’t impact their vacation plans.
The obvious question in Colorado is what happens now. The vast majority of the 2013 squad is already signed through the 2013-14 campaign. So short of a series of trades, the players will be largely the same.
Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Colorado has now missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, but the Avalanche have a young and developing core that might not be far from competing.
Perhaps the more immediate question is whether or not head coach Joe Sacco should get another chance. The Avalanche haven’t exactly gotten results during most of his tenure, but they’ve also been a rebuilding team through much of his time behind the bench.
Still some strongly believe that Sacco should be fired. Regardless, it will be a long off-season for the Avalanche.