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Stunning new development throws Jared Bednar's Avalanche legacy into question
Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche are off to a scorching start this season under Jared Bednar, posting a 17-1-5 record through their first 23 games and already drawing comparisons to the legendary 2022-23 Boston Bruins campaign. The pace is real, the stakes high, and fans can't stop watching.
With 42 points in hand, Colorado sits atop the Central Division and the league standings by a comfortable margin. Their goals-for and goal differential metrics stand among the NHL's best, showing this is no fluke start but a team firing on all cylinders.
Jared Bednar's Avalanche continue to chase NHL history.
Deepanjan Mitra from Breakaway On Si writes that the current trajectory projects out to roughly 138 points, which would nudge the Avalanche past Boston's modern single-season record of 135 points set just two seasons ago. The comparison isn't shy.
Colorado's mix of depth, structure, and opportunistic offense has made the wins pile up. Bednar's system seems to have players buying in fully, night after night. The puck moves quicker, defense stays tighter, and scoring chances keep coming.
"It's the kind of regular season dominance that demands attention, and it's putting Bednar squarely in the conversation for the Jack Adams Award." -Mitra
On "On The Sheet" with Jeff Marek, the hosts debated what a season like this could mean for Bednar's legacy and whether shattering the all-time points record would secure him Coach of the Year honors.
Jared Bednar is a no-Brainer for the Jack Adams.
When Marek asked about Bednar's Jack Adams candidacy, analyst Jason Gregor didn't hesitate with his answer.
From a fan's view, this feels bigger than just a hot start. This feels like a moment. The kind that gets remembered.
"That's a no-brainer. How could you not be? It'd be improving his team by 30 points. He pushed back on the typical narrative that coaches who drag struggling teams into the playoffs deserve more recognition than those who elevate already good teams to historic heights.
I know the argument, oh look, we took this bad team and got to the playoffs. Well, in some cases, they improved by 10 points. If you take a good team and improve by 30 points, that's unreal coaching." -Gregor
I know the argument, oh look, we took this bad team and got to the playoffs. Well, in some cases, they improved by 10 points. If you take a good team and improve by 30 points, that's unreal coaching." -Gregor
Still, regular-season dominance doesn't guarantee playoff glory. The Bruins rode their 135-point season into the postseason and still exited early. So breaking records is great, but the real test for Colorado will come when the stakes are highest.
If the Avalanche keep their discipline, manage health, and avoid emotional letdowns, they'll give themselves a shot at rewriting the record books, and maybe doing more than just making headlines.
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