The Colorado Avalanche are rolling in these 2026 NHL playoffs. After a dominant regular season, they made an emphatic statement in Round 1, sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in four straight games. Everything about Colorado screams contender. Well, almost everything.
Even a legend like Wayne Gretzky is scratching his head over one glaring issue that just doesn’t add up.
Gretzky Can’t Wrap His Head Around Colorado Avalanche’s Biggest Problem
The Avalanche’s 2025-26 season has been nothing short of historic. They wrapped up the regular season with a staggering 55-16-11 record, collecting 121 points to claim the Presidents’ Trophy, the Central Division title, and the top seed in the Western Conference.
They were not just winning, they were dominating. Colorado matched a rare milestone previously achieved only by the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming just the second team in NHL history to suffer only one regulation loss through their first 26 games. Even more impressive, they set a new benchmark by recording just two regulation losses in their first 40 games.
But when Gretzky looked at their numbers, one stat stood out for all the wrong reasons.
“One of the things that I think we’re all amazed by, is how good Colorado is,” Gretzky said. “They had a dominant year. And you look at the stats on the power play, how could this be possible? They should be in the top five easily. But they’re number one defensively, too. So it’s crazy.”
He’s not wrong. Despite being arguably the most complete team in the league, Colorado’s power play ranked 27th, converting at just 17.1%. For a team loaded with elite talent, that’s a shocking weakness.
On the flip side, their defensive game has been elite. They allowed just 2.40 goals per game, best in the NHL. That balance has carried them this far, but the special teams bubble often serves as the difference-maker in deep playoff runs. And that’s where the concern lies.
The unit became predictable, often forcing plays through Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, while relying too heavily on perimeter passing rather than creating high-danger chances.
Injuries also disrupted rhythm, with key absences hurting late-season momentum, even as Gabriel Landeskog returned and needed time to reintegrate.
Their aggressive approach led to short-handed goals against, further hurting efficiency. Despite tactical tweaks, the execution inconsistency kept the power play from improving.
Now, their next opponent will be either the Dallas Stars or the Minnesota Wild, with Minnesota currently leading 3-2 in that series.
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But as dominant as Colorado has been, Gretzky’s concern lingers in the background. If their power play doesn’t improve, that one weakness could become a major storyline as the stakes get higher.
