I moved to Chicago and went to a couple Blackhawks game. I remember specifically picking the Penguins as an away opponent because I wanted to see Crosby in person. Following the Bill Simmons approach of going to Clippers games, I went to see live NHL games. But the Blackhawks were never my team. (Perhaps I blew that, as the Blackhawks went on to win 3 Stanley Cups in the decade following me moving to Chicago.)
In December 2010, I flew out for a job interview in Denver. At the airport, I saw an Avalanche hat at one of the bookstore gift shops. I loved the look of it. But I wasn't sure that I was moving to Denver—I had to get the job first. So I didn't buy it then. It turned out, I didn't get the job. Until seven months later. I accepted a job offer on July 6, 2011. On July 25, 2011, my 9-months-pregnant wife and I took this photo at the Kansas-Colorado border. I'm wearing the Avalanche hat. I finally had my first NHL team.
In October, I dove into the Avalanche-Red Wing history on this here site. In November, I saw my first Avalanche game in person. In March 2012, I saw my first win in person. Landeskog was a rookie, scored the game winner in overtime, and became a meme.
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During the first two seasons, the Chiefs were dogshit so I really leaned into the Avs the entire way. Even in a season where Colorado wouldn't make the playoffs, there were so many memorable moments.
In 2013 I was turning 30 later this year. I had never seen the Chiefs or Avalanche win a playoff game and I wrote this:
The Chiefs drafted Eric Fisher. The Avalanche drafted Nathan MacKinnon.
Next season Patrick Roy became the Avs coach and I got to see them go to the playoffs for the first time. I got to see them win an incredible game. I took my wife to a sports bar for the only time ever to watch a game and we saw the Avs lose a Game 7 to the Wild. The starting goalie for the Wild was Darcy Kuemper.
I was 30 years old when I saw a team win a playoff game. (Avs)
I was 32 years old when I saw a team advance in the playoffs. (Chiefs)
In 2016, Patrick Roy quit as the Avs coach. Sakic replaces Roy with Jared Bednar. The Avs proceed to set a record for lowest points in a season. They were a r/hockey punchline. It was embarrassing.
As the worst team in the league, the Avs ended up with the 4th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. They drafted Cale Makar. Just two months prior, in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes.
In 2017, I was here wondering if MacKinnon and Landeskog would ever win a series in Colorado.
In 2019, I got to see the Avalanche win a playoff series for the first time.
In 2019, the Chiefs went 12-4 in the regular season. They'd go 3-0 in the playoffs in early 2020. I'd go to a parade.
On my 36th birthday, I had never seen one of my teams win a championship. I'm 38 and now I've seen BOTH.
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Two months ago I posted this: Will the Avs lift the Cup or lose in the 2nd round? There is no other option.
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The biggest moment in the series was Game 4 overtime. The Avs had taken the first two in Denver but Tampa captured a blowout victory in Game 3. If the Lightning score in overtime, they've got momentum and a tied series headed back to Denver.
Kadri returns from suspension injury in Game 4 hoping to provide a lift. Twelve minutes into overtime he buries the game winner. Literally buries in the net where no one can see it.
Great overhead view of where the puck landed.
That goal gave us a 3-1 series lead and I was beyond thrilled. That night I was awoken by a sick kid a couple times, and every time I went back to bed I just held my pillow with a big smile on my face shouting Kadri! over and over in my head.
Tampa winning Game 5 in Denver added a little tension to the air. They get to come home for Game 6 and a win there makes it Game 7 and they've got all the momentum.
Game 6 starts and they score first. Ohh man, things are getting dicey. And then the Avalanche played a perfect 2nd and 3rd period. Get two goals, allow none. Shut them down defensively in the third and hold on for the final horn.
With the empty net, Landeskog blocked a shot that broke his skate blade and MacKinnon had to help him skate off the ice while there were 6 Lightning skaters on the ice.
In the final minute, MacKinnon clears the puck with 33 seconds left. The Lightning have to go get it, re-enter the zone with 17 seconds left. But Makar is right there to force it out. The 23-year-old skates down and ties up the puck for the final seconds.
Just like that, it's all over.
2021-2022 Avs set the franchise record for wins in a season. 56 out of 82 in the regular season. 16 out of 20 in the playoffs. 72 wins this year. It ties the NHL record for wins in a season. Who's won more games than this team? Nobody.
(They tied the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers and 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for most wins -- regular and postseason combined -- in a season.)
Among players with 50 playoff games, MacKinnon trails only Gretzky and Lemieux in playoff points per game.
In the playoffs, in 20 games, the Avs were +30 in goal differential. The next best? Edmonton was +6.
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Also, shoutout to this Blues fan:
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I tried to get my kids into the Chiefs Super Bowl run, and they cared a little bit because I cared, but not really. This year, when the Avs made the Finals, I once again tried to get my kids on board. They are both Colorado natives, so they have a legitimate claim to fandom. My oldest didn't care at all. But my youngest got into it. After hyping up the trophy, he was fully in love with the Stanley Cup itself. He remembered how your name goes on, how they move rings up and old rings eventually go into the museum.
Sunday night I was settling in to watch Game 6 and he came up and said I want to watch with you. We sat there and we watched the Avs take a 2-1 lead in the second. He tells me, we just need to hold the lead for 27 more minutes.
All of a sudden, there was only a minute or so left and the Lightning pulled the goalie. Without stoppages in play, a hockey game that doesn't go into overtime can just fly by. With five seconds left the puck is all the way on the other side of the ice. We start celebrating, hugging each other so tight.
Both of us went to sleep on cloud nine, and both of us woke up in the middle of the night, too excited to sleep all the way through. At this point, my Dad has exited my life. Last night I got to be the Dad and share a moment with my youngest that I'll hold onto forever.
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