With just over a month left in the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche is at a crossroads. Sitting third in the hyper-competitive Central Division, their 10-10-2 record against division rivals suggests a tough playoff road ahead. However, the Avs have dominated Pacific Division opponents with a 12-5 record, sparking a divisive debate among fans online—should they strategically lose games to land in a wildcard spot, or should they continue pushing to the top and take on the best in the Central?

Their remaining 16 games won’t make the decision any easier. With the 11th-toughest schedule left in the NHL, the Avs will have to battle playoff-bound teams like the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings, making every win (or loss) a crucial factor in their fate.

Some fans see a Wild Card spot as the strategic play, allowing the Colorado Avalanche to avoid the gauntlet of elite goaltenders in the Central division. Others argue that true champions don’t pick their matchups—they take on whoever is in front of them.

However, the Colorado Avalanche are surging at the right time, going 10-3-1 since January 28 to leap over the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division. That puts them in direct competition with Dallas for the No. 2 spot, but climbing any higher won’t be easy.

Colorado has been virtually unstoppable at the Ball Arena with their 22-10-2 home record, but their 17-14-1 record on the road is questionable. Second in the Central would give them home-ice advantage in at least one series, an enormous boon with the high altitude of Denver. But being in the Central would also mean a grueling playoff path—a potential first-round meeting with the Stars and goalie Jake Oettinger and then likely a second-round encounter with the Jets and Vezina-level goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Conversely, dropping into a Wild Card slot would mean less of a grind through the Pacific Division. They’d likely play Round 1 against the Knights, where Adin Hill’s inconsistency would work in their favor. A second-round series against Edmonton’s leaky defense and Stuart Skinner would be less intimidating. And the Avs have already proven they can shut down McDavid and Draisaitl, beating the Oilers in the 2022 playoffs.

With 16 games left to play, the Colorado Avalanche are likely not thinking of anything but winning every battle ahead of them. But Avs fans who only want to maximize their team’s chances at the Cup are in full-on theorizing and discussion mode online on how it could happen.

Fans are also torn about the proposed playoff strategy

Some are totally on board with the Wild Card strategy, reasoning that if the schedule does play in Colorado’s favor, so be it. “Tough to aim for it.but I’d rather be in the Pacific than central so I get it.” After all, the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal, not making things more difficult for no good reason.

But most strongly disagree with that philosophy, believing that the best teams never game the system—rather, they go out and win no matter who is in their way. “If you aim to lose now, you’ll continue to lose then. It just doesn’t work. ” Solid advice, in sports the idea of strategic losing is never going to down well. It’s antithesis to what sports are all about, on a fundamental level.

Momentum is also one of the most vital factors. The Boston Bruins learned it the hard way in 2023 when they sailed through the regular season but collapsed in the opening round. Fans are concerned that tanking to earn a Wild Card spot would shatter the rhythm of the Avs entering the playoffs. “You dont become the best players in the world by trying to strategically lose. These dudes are hard wired to always want to win. Thats a good thing.” And yes, strategic losing is never associated with the toughest of winners.

Others maintained that home-ice advantage is what takes precedence. With Colorado’s altitude being part of one of the best home records in the league for the past half-dozen years, they shouldn’t sacrifice that to avoid a tough first-round opponent. “No, they should shoot for the position that gives them a better chance at home ice in a series.” And according to the Sound of Hockey, over the course of the last 3 seasons, the statistics show that home ice advantage is indeed a thing and teams consistently performed better when at home. Sounds obvious but it’s good to have the numbers too.

At the end of the day, some are being realistic here—if the Colorado Avalanche can’t beat the best of the best, they’re not worthy of the Cup.-“No gonna have to beat everyone eventually or we aren’t good enough.“

The Central Division is tough with some of the league’s best defensive teams. However, the Pacific Division may give the Colorado Avalanche an easier passage through to the later rounds. But one thing is for sure: there are no shortcuts to Stanley Cup glory. Whether the Avalanche are looking for a better seeding or a more desirable playoff opponent, they must show that they are capable of beating any opponent in their way.