This is the post I have been thinking about writing for days.

Everyone who pays attention to the Western Conference knows the story. The Avalanche are 3 points behind the Flames, each one has two games to play, and the last one, the final game of the regular season, the only game playing at the time, will be the Avs versus the Flames. It has all the earmarks of a knock down, drag out finale, only seen at the end of the first Star Wars film (you know, number four, not that awful stuff he put out later, unless you consider Tanguay Jar Jar Binks). One game to decide who makes it to the playoffs.

The odds have been stacked against the Avalanche all season long. Those who are in-the-know predicted the Avs being so far down the list, they would be close to taking the first overall draft pick. If it weren’t for the play of Paul Stastny and Peter Budaj, they may have been right. The unsurprisingly poor play of Jose Theodore was enough to drag the team down, not to mention that it didn’t look like much of a team in front of him.

And somehow, they made a comeback. Somehow, this group of players became a team, and pushed forward, going on a tear, winning game after game. These players finally became what I was hoping they would become, a force to be reckoned with. They started playing together, rather than little islands unto themselves. They finally started to gel.

About 50 games too late.

The chances of Sunday nights game being the deciding factor is slim. Nashville has to lose, which has more potential at this point (4-4-2 in the last ten games, but still has a very winning record on the road), then the other thing that has to happen. Calgary has to lose to the Oilers. The Battle of Alberta has to swing the direction nobody thinks it will. While Edmonton will be playing for only pride, Calgary are playing for their lives, and will want to crush the Oilers quickly and decisively. My guess, that’s what happens.

So what if the Avalanche don’t make it to the playoffs? What happens if they are the first Avs to miss the post-season since coming to Denver?

Well, nothing really. The fans of other teams will dance around like they did something, but they didn’t. There will be cries from the rooftops of “Glory, glory, hallelujah,” as Avs haters point fingers and laugh, saying how they knew this would happen. But I know there was fear in their hearts. Fear that the Avs would dash more hopes and dreams. They will be watching the playoffs with an eye toward next year, and knowing that the Avs could be back in this thing with a vengeance.

Unlike the haters, I have watched the Avs. A lot. Actually, thanks to this blog, more than any previous season. I saw how they played through the entire season, not just in little post game recaps and highlight reels. There was something there. Unfortunately, that something remained untapped. The most frustrating thing for me was seeing the flashes that would come in spurts, but not be sustained. The start of the season held promise, and the kids were alright. But it was clear what they were lacking, and it wasn’t just goaltending. It was playing like a team. Players never do it, but most nights, you could point fingers. Those fingers found different targets from game to game. The Avs, from the start, shot themselves. No team did it to them as much as they did it to themselves.

I don’t say this very often, but Terri Frei said it well:

The best thing that can happen to the Avalanche now? (And this tunes out the whining from the comptroller and the ownership, the Stan Kroenke empire that also includes the Nuggets, the Pepsi Center, a new soccer stadium and soccer and lacrosse teams.) The best scenario is Colorado wins its final two, finishes on a 16-1-2 run, but barely misses the postseason.

I completely agree. If this were an Avalanche team who had fought hard from the beginning, players who acted like they deserved to be at the big dance, I would be happy to see them make a run at the Cup, even from the eighth playoff spot. But, no matter who they met in the first round, be them Wings, Sharks, Ducks, Wild or whoever, the quick first round exit would be the most likely scenario. How would a team who didn’t start acting like a team until the trade deadline do in the playoffs? My feeling is not too well. (But apparently Scott Parker is the heart and soul of the team after Super Joe, and Brad May was a cancer, at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it)

It will be nice, if that’s the case, to watch the playoffs this year from the outside looking in. Last year, I didn’t expect the Marty Turco show to experience technical difficulties, and fully expected the Avs to lose in the first round. I was watching the first round from Hartford, CT with hands over my eyes, like I was watching a horror movie. If I felt strongly last season, I am in complete belief of that this year. The only thing a playoff berth would achieve is extending the Avs playing time, and making the hat the Theodore wears on the bench become saturated with more hair product.

This year, I don’t need it.

I saw this great post from the Acid Queen, and I feel the need to quote her here:

Win with class, lose with dignity-that lesson was taught to me by (of all people) a Sabres fan. Sure, it feels good to dance on the graves of your perceived enemies and wave your e-peen around for all to see-but all it does is make you look like a classless piece of garbage. The gods favor the worthy, and if your team isn’t judged worthy, then you shake your opponent’s hand, congratulate him on a series well-played, and look ahead to next season. If your team is judged worthy, then you shake your opponent’s hand, congratulate him on a series well-played, and look ahead to the next round or the next season. There’s plenty of crying in hockey, but no whining.

Go read the full post, it’s worth it. It could surprise some people that someone who calls themselves the Acid Queen would be so balanced in their teams miss of the playoffs, but I’ve met her. At risk of my personal well-being, I will tell you she is a really nice person. And she has a damn good point. Not behaving like an ass-hat at others pain is something hard to achieve, and the playoffs magnify this.

When I went to the Stanley Cup Final game 7 in 2003, I went pulling for the Ducks. MegMegMeg was by my side, and wearing a Ducks jersey (I didn’t have one, yet). While we were in line to buy SCF merch, the guy in front of us bought an extra puck, handed it to MegMegMeg, and told he she deserved it for having the “balls to wear that jersey.” After the Ducks lost, the Devils fans were nothing but classy, telling us how the Ducks put up a huge fight, that Giguere was incredible in goal, making us feel like the 14 hour drive hasn’t ending on a completely sour note. The Devils fans weren’t pointing and laughing, they were taking us in as hockey fans. Before the game was a little jeering, but afterwords, nothing but class.

It’s 2:00 in the afternoon as I finish this up. The Avs play in about five hours. I am completely psyched for the game. Anyone who walks by my apartment door will hear me shout “No!” at any defensive breakdown, “Yes!” at any Avs goal, and swearing at any goal against. And I’ll do it tomorrow night, no matter the implications. Because I am an Avs fan. I always want them to win. If they squeak into the playoffs, I will be jumping up and down on my chair, playing the fool. I will hope for the best, hope for the two points, just plain hope.

And if they miss the playoffs, I’m OK with that. Because there is next season, and it’s going to kick ass.

Technorati : Avalanche, Avs, Hockey, NHL