As the Avalanche attempts to solidify its hold on first place in the Northwest Division in the final nine games of the regular season, there’s one reality it can’t change.
Even if the Avs win the division and are the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, they will open their first playoff series on the road.
The NCAA’s Frozen Four is at the Pepsi Center on April 10 and 12, and the logistical reality is that the NCAA would have claim on the building from April 9 — the opening day of the NHL playoffs — through April 12.
The NHL has assured Avalanche officials that the team will retain the home-ice advantage in the first round as the No. 3 seed, with four of the seven games played in Denver, if all are necessary. The league hasn’t said how that would work, but it likely would be under a 2-3-1-1 schedule, with the third through fifth and seventh games ticketed for the Pepsi Center.
There is one precedent for that scenario. In 1999, in the wake of the Columbine shootings, the schedule for the Avalanche-San Jose first-round series was rearranged. Colorado had the home-ice advantage, but the first two games were at San Jose, with the next three in Denver. Colorado closed out the series with a Game 6 win at San Jose, and Game 7 would have been played in the Pepsi Center.
After finishing its interconference schedule against the Devils on Saturday, Colorado’s final nine games are against Northwest Division opponents. The way the conference standings line up, the Northwest winner likely will play the division runner-up in the 3 vs. 6 Western matchup. So with the Avalanche guaranteed to open on the road, it’s arguable that as long as the Avs finish first or second in the division, the jockeying is only for the fourth home game in the first-round series.
Smith recalled.
The Avalanche recalled veteran forward Wyatt Smith, who played the first 25 games of the season with Colorado, from Lake Erie of the AHL and sent defenseman Jeff Jillson back down to the Monsters. Jillson was brought up as a precaution last week, but didn’t suit up for a game.
Smith took part in the pregame warm-ups Saturday, but was a healthy scratch, along with winger Cody McCormick.
Terry Frei, The Denver Post
