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If you're going to lose, lose correctly.

The Avs have played 10 games since the Olympics, and since then they have gone 5-5-0. That's decidedly mediocre (especially considering that of the 5 wins all five came against teams currently on the outside looking into the playoff picture). The natural reaction here is to overreact, especially when the Avs were blown out of the building by the playoffless Ducks last night. But this stuff happens, teams go through ebb-and-flows throughout the season and it's reasonable to think that this may just be one of those ebbs (ebbs are the bad ones right?), albeit at the most unnerving time of year.

Anyways despite the mediocrity, and that's being generous, the Avs are still in pretty good shape. The Flames have gone 6-4-0 in their last 10, and in all reality the Flames are the only threat to completely bounce the Avs from the playoffs. If the Avs keep up the .500 pace they will finish with 97 points, and all this will be forgotten, unless it continues into the post-season. Even then Fans will look back fondly on this season as one in which the young Avs grew up a little bit and got a taste of success.

Still, the most discouraging part of this slump is that the Avs aren't even taking games into OT. Had the Avs been able to squeak out some loser points, maybe going 5-3-2 in the last 10, Say against division rivals Calgary and Vancouver or that heart-breaker in Phoenix, the Avs would be 7 points up on the Flames, and only a point back of Nashville for the #5 spot with 2 games in hand, and the fanbase wouldn't be on the verge of mass hysteria.

So the Avs don't even need to start winning, they only need to start losing with style.

 

Be sure to check out The Royal Half for a Kings-centric preview of tonight and Weds home-and-home. I should have a back and forth with him going up before Weds.