COLORADO HOCKEY DAILY | NHL TEAM | COLORADO AVALANCHE

New report exposes a major area of concern for the Avalanche

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Marshall Stinson
December 19, 2025 (7:56 PM)

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With Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog all on the same unit, you'd expect the Avalanche power play to be dominant, but that hasn't been the case, and their struggles with the man advantage are becoming worrisome.

While it's an issue for them now, the team understands the problem, and remain confident that they can fix it.

Colorado Avalanche need to fix their power play right now.

Ryan O'Hara of Yahoo Sports reported on the power play problems the Avalanche are currently facing.

While the Avalanche are the NHL's top 5-on-5 team, their power play sits at just 15.7%, placing them near the bottom of the league.

"Their biggest rival in the Central Division, the Dallas Stars, are operating at nearly double that efficiency on the man advantage. Viewed through that lens, there is legitimate reason for concern. The playoffs are still roughly four months away, but time has a way of moving quickly." -O'Hara

Despite their power play struggles, the Avalanche remain the NHL's top team, with 5-on-5 play that's truly elite. They lead the league in both even-strength offense and defense by a wide margin. But to hoist the Stanley Cup, strong special teams are essential, and the Avalanche are falling short there. The good news? They're far from complacent, constantly experimenting to reignite their man advantage.

"Instead, head coach Jared Bednar continues to invest heavily in refining the power play, experimenting with line configurations, testing different personnel groupings, and exploring varied methods of zone entry and offensive penetration. The emphasis reflects a belief that improvement remains both possible and necessary, regardless of the standings." -O'Hara

In recent memory, the only team to win the Stanley Cup with a weak power play was the 2011 Boston Bruins. Every other champion was able to capitalize with a man advantage, and the Avalanche need to do the same.

The longer this season goes on, the more their struggles on the power play become a concern, and it could ultimately derail all the hard work they've put in.

Previously on Colorado Hockey Daily

Joe Sakic makes a bold claim about the Avalanche's Stanley Cup chances

Why tonight's Jets vs. Avalanche matchup feels nothing like the last one

Blackwood just blew up Team Canada's Olympic goalie plans

POLL
DECEMBRE 19 \| 20 ANSWERS New report exposes a major area of concern for the Avalanche Will the Colorado Avalanche fix their power play before it's too late this NHL season?
Yes	17	85 %
No	3	15 %
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New report exposes a major area of concern for the Avalanche

With Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog all on the same unit, you'd expect the Avalanche power play to be dominant, but that hasn't been the case, and their struggles with the man advantage are becoming worrisome.

Colorado Avalanche need to fix their power play right now.

Will the Colorado Avalanche fix their power play before it's too late this NHL season?