The Colorado Avalanche are 27-12-3 with 57 points and sit second in the Central Division through 42 games this season.
The 2023-24 NHL season has hit the midway point and the Colorado Avalanche are currently second in the Central Division — three points behind the Winnipeg Jets.
Through 42 games, the Avalanche are 27-12-3 with 57 points. The team began its fifth segment (10 games) on Jan. 8 against the Boston Bruins, who are currently the top team in the Atlantic Division.
Here's a look at how Colorado played in the first four segments:
First segment (Oct. 11 - Nov. 4) — Record: 7-3
Second segment (Nov. 7 - 25) — Record: 7-3
Third segment (Nov. 27 - Dec. 16) — Record: 4-4-2
Fourth segment (Dec. 16 - Jan. 6) Record: 7-2-1
The team earned a 5-4 shootout victory over Boston and Bednar said it was a game that had "everything." From special teams to overtime to a shootout, it's a game the coaching staff will use as an example of how to earn a win.
"Our defending 5-on-5 was outstanding and that's exactly the way we want to play, need to play," Bednar said after an optional practice Tuesday. "When you look at our sort of work in progress, our segment three has been our worst segment — we finished 4-4-2."
The Avalanche have struggled on the road and lost four away from Ball Arena in that segment — two in regulation and two in overtime.
"The numbers that were dropping from segment one and two to segment three was all of our defending details and the scoring chances — we're giving them up, how we're giving them up," Bednar said. "Those numbers skyrocketed to top 10, top 5 in a lot of areas in segment four."
Despite injuries during those 10 games, segment four was the team's best for the first half of the season. They won seven and only lost two in regulation and one in overtime.
"Relaying that information to our guys so they understand why that was our best segment at 7-2-1, it's not a big secret," Bednar said. "Our power play had its best segment. There's a lot of things going on and that's through more injuries in segment four than we had previously."
The Avs have won the first two games of their fifth segment — the win against the Bruins and a 3-0 win vs the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.
"The guys were really in tune to what we needed to do on both sides of the puck," Bednar said of his team after the Bruins game. "They were connected as a group and they played hard and competed hard."
The team continued that mentality against the Vegas Golden Knights to earn the two points with a shutout. The two home wins were important for Colorado before heading out on a five-game road trip.
"We've kind of marked out this stretch within our 10-game segments of playing top teams and not fully healthy — some guys sick, obviously some guys banged up. Little bit shortened lineup to be able to play some of these top teams — Dallas, Florida, Vegas, etc.," Bednar said on Thursday. "If you're able to carve out points and feel good about the way your team's playing and them feeling good about it, just grabs you a little extra confidence to go on the road for five games against some tough competition — try to continue to do the same thing."
The Avalanche face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night to kick off the next five games on the road.
Recent Avalanche articles
2 Avalanche players voted to participate in All-Star Game
Georgiev earns shutout in Avalanche 3-0 win over Golden Knights
Money & Power: Why Colorado's Jared Bednar is one of the most influential coaches in the NHL today