59:54

Peaks and valleys, strikes and gutters. 

I moved to Colorado and became an Avalanche fan in fall of 2011. This is my 11th season as an Avs fan. I got to go see an Avs game every year I lived in Denver, 8 games in 5 seasons.

It took three years to see them win a playoff game. It was the first time I had seen a playoff win for any professional team. (Since then I've seen the Chiefs win a couple.)

In my 8th season as a fan, I finally got to see them win a playoff series!

In seasons 8, 9 and 10 of my fandom, the Avalanche lost in the second round of the playoffs. 

Game 7 loss in 2019.
Game 7 loss in 2020.
Game 6 loss in 2021.

You see something happen three times in a row, you brace for it to happen again. 

Game 5 of this series was incredible. 

MacKinnon scores two in the first period. The Captain adds another in the second. Avs are up 3-0 at home against a second-string goalie. 

But with five minutes left in the 3rd, the Blues tie it up. 

And then MacKinnon put the team on his back and said no, this ends tonight. He does this with under three minutes to go:

 

Instantly it felt like the best Avalanche goal I've ever seen. Tie game under three minutes in an elimination game to get over the second round hump, coast to coast with turbo speed burst and deke the defender and roof it over the goalie, and it's a hat trick. This absolutely deserved to be the series ender. 

And then it wasn't. 

The Blues scored with a 6th attacker and then scored in overtime. All of a sudden this incredible MacKinnon goal is now a relic.

The Avs have to go on the road for Game 6. Lose this one and the second round hump now feels like a curse. 

With ten minutes to go in the game, the Blues are winning 2-1. I'm sitting here thinking about having to write yet another blog post about how this Avalanche team has all the talent but can't put it together to get past the second round. 

And then Compher lets loose a freaking BOTTLE KNOCKER.

 

As the minutes wound down I was praying for another goal, but I also didn't want it to happen too early. I was afraid of a repeat of Game 5 where the Blues pull their goalie and score, stealing momentum into OT. 

I was content to settle for OT. But not everyone on the ice was...

 

59:54 into the game and the Avalanche get their first lead of the game. 

And just like that...the Blues are dead. For the second year in a row, Colorado eliminates St. Louis. 

And now we're on to Edmonton. 

MacKinnon vs McDavid.

I legitimately don't know what to expect, but it's going to be a wild ride.