Colorado the team to beat

Motivation comes in many forms when you’re trying to go wire to wire for the Presidents’ Trophy.

The Winnipeg Jets found this out last season and the Colorado Avalanche are going through a similar process in the current one.

Although the Avalanche (48-13-10) have built their lead over the Dallas Stars to nine points, they’re not about to let their foot off the gas during the final 11 games of the regular season — which includes a rematch with the Jets on Saturday night in Denver.

“Like almost everybody else in the league right now, we’re playing important games,” said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. “We have our goal set on first place — it’s been set there all year — and we’re still fighting and trying to accomplish that goal. We feel like home ice is a big thing. You can avoid a couple of really strong opponents.

“There’s no easy rounds, but you know that if you get (first place) and get there, you’re starting at home and letting a couple of other really good teams beat up each other in the first round.”

Similar to when the Jets jumped out to a 15-1 record to start the season, the Avalanche were strong out of the gate and had only one regulation loss through 25 games at 19-1-6.

Despite the incredible start, the Avalanche have been pushed by both the Dallas Stars (who pulled within two points just last week) and the Minnesota Wild. That’s the reality of the quality of competition in the Central Division, which had three of the top-5 teams in the NHL going into Friday’s action.

So even though they knew they were bound for the Stanley Cup playoffs for several months, the Avalanche still found a way to avoid going into cruise control mode. Part of that fine tuning includes Bednar sorting out which line combinations work best with the playoffs just around the corner.

The depth down the middle for the Avalanche is incredible, with Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Jack Drury and Nic Roy among the options available to Bednar when all are healthy.

While the top-end talent is elite, the complementary scoring has also been there, with 10 skaters already in double digits for goals and three more at eight or nine.

Combine that with a solid defence corps and one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood and you’ve got an impressive collection of talent pursuing the ultimate goal.

Having nine players on the current roster that captured the Stanley Cup in 2022 certainly helps heighten the focus.

Having the likes of MacKinnon putting together a season worthy of the Hart Trophy (48 goals, 117 points), Cale Makar in the Norris Trophy discussion and captain Gabriel Landeskog back at full health doesn’t hurt either.

“Our record with (Landeskog) and without him is significantly different this year,” said Bednar. “It’s hard to explain because he touches our room and touches the game in so many different areas. Just having him around, he’s a sounding board for all our guys, he helps keep us on track. We don’t seem to ride the emotional roller-coaster when he’s in the lineup.”

Landeskog’s journey back from a series of knee surgeries is well documented, but after returning for the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring, he’s managed to stay mostly healthy, appearing in 50 games so far while also competing for Sweden at the recent Olympics in Italy.

“For us, we set a high standard early on in the season,” said Landeskog. “We try to make sure our game is as tight as it possibly can be for the majority of every 10-game segment.”

The Avalanche will enter the post-season as the favourite to win the Stanley Cup, even though the path through the Central Division is going to be incredibly tough.

Being able to lean on some of those past experiences is a valuable resource.

“It’s the most important thing you can bring. Playing in a (Stanley Cup) final game, there’s no simulation for it, unless you play in it,” said Kadri. “We all understand how great of an opportunity that we have. None of us are taking it for granted.”

Around the glass

Ping-pong king

He may be struggling on the ice this season, with just one goal through 51 games, but Jets forward Gustav Nyquist continues to clean up at the ping-pong table.

“He beats everyone,” Jets goaltender Eric Comrie revealed Friday.

“If he wanted to, he beats everyone 11-0. He’s as good as a ping-pong player — and I’ve played against some good ping-pong players — as I’ve ever seen. He gets to the point where he embarrasses people.”

Comrie made the revelation while a ping-pong tournament was happening inside the club’s gym area following their optional skate, a few hours before they took flight to Denver to start their latest road trip.

“Our second best player is Nino Niederreiter, and he beat him 11-0. Like not even trying,” said Comrie.

“I’m actually searching up now on ChatGPT for ping-pong lessons. It went from golf lessons to ping-pong really fast. My whole Instagram algorithm went to ping-pong. I’m trying to learn different serves and different things. Honestly it’s making me worse. I’m in my head.”

Comrie said he recently asked Nyquist if he’s ever met his match in this particular sport.

“He told me that every team he’s played on he’s never actually faced any competition. Except for Daniel Alfredsson. He’s the only guy that’s given him a challenge,” said Comrie.

Maurice milestone

Move over Scotty Bowman.

Old friend Paul Maurice made some hockey history this week when he became just the second NHL coach to ever spend at least 2,000 games behind the bench.

Maurice, who has led the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups, hit the milestone in Tuesday’s 5-4 shootout win against the Seattle Kraken.

A video tribute included messages from several former colleagues, managers and players, including defenceman Nate Schmidt, who played for Maurice in both Winnipeg and Florida and is now with the Utah Mammoth.

“Appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Hopefully I can see you around soon,’’ said Schmidt. “Champs forever. Cheers.’’

A third straight championship doesn’t seem in the cards, with the injury-riddled Panthers unlikely to make the playoffs, but Maurice told reporters he wouldn’t change a thing.

“This place has been great. The fans have been great here,” he said. “I really appreciate the acknowledgement from the Florida Panthers and the fans. I truly appreciate that.”

The man who originally hired him for his first job at the tender age of 28, Jim Rutherford, also weighed in.

“Congratulations, Paul. You have come a long way from that first game you coached in Hartford when I asked you to start coaching in your mid-20s,” said Rutherford, who is now the president of hockey operations in Vancouver.

“It’s been a long road for you, you are highly respected by the players who have played for you, by the people who work with you, and you have had great success now winning two Stanley Cups and coaching 2,000 games. As a friend, and on behalf of all the people you have touched in the game of hockey, I want to say thank you. And we are very proud of you.”

Maurice could eventually overtake Bowman, who coached in 2,141 games, for No. 1 all-time.

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