Playoff format changes could pose a major threat to the Colorado Avalanche

Tony Abbott from the Hockey Wilderness argues Wild fans should not fear the divisional playoff format, and that logic lands closer to truth than comfort. The structure feels cruel, but the postseason has never cared about fairness.

Minnesota has spent years bumping into elite Central teams early, often Colorado, sometimes Dallas, sometimes both. The instinct is to blame the bracket instead of the margins that decide playoff series.

Colorado Avalanche fans know this feeling too well. The Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy in 2021 with 39 wins and still bowed out in the second round. Regular season dominance rarely guarantees spring survival.

What the format really does is remove the illusion of safety. A strong seed does not mean an easy road, and that reality hits harder in divisions stacked with contenders.

From a fan perspective, this argument lands because Avalanche supporters have lived both sides. The 2022 Stanley Cup run came through Nashville, St. Louis, and Edmonton, none of them soft opponents, yet Colorado controlled pace, entries, and slot chances anyway.

The Hockey Wilderness article points out that playoff hockey amplifies randomness. Goaltending swings, injuries pile up, and one bad matchup can erase months of work, regardless of seeding logic.

Colorado's current roster shows why format fear can be overstated. Nathan MacKinnon drives play at five on five, Cale Makar tilts the ice from the back end, and playoff series still come down to details like breakouts and special teams.

Minnesota's frustration mirrors Colorado's past. Both teams have learned that drawing a heavyweight early does not doom a season, but it does demand cleaner execution and faster adjustments.

That context matters when fans complain about seeing the same opponents every spring. Rivalries are a feature, not a bug, especially when the margins between contenders are thin.

From an Avalanche lens, the takeaway is simple. The format does not eliminate teams, habits do. Colorado's Cup year proved that when details are sharp, the bracket fades into background noise.

Minnesota's challenge is the same one Colorado faced before 2022. Stop chasing fairness, start chasing consistency, and trust that playoff chaos cuts both ways.