The Colorado Avalanche completed a three-goal comeback to eliminate the Minnesota Wild in five games, setting up a Western Conference Final showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights. On The Pat McAfee Show, Darius Butler lauded the resilience shown in that victory, noting, "It was about one to one halfway through the third when, uh, the Avalanche ended up getting it done."
Pundits across the board view the Colorado Avalanche as the clear favorite to emerge from the West. PK Subban told listeners on The Pat McAfee Show that "I think Colorado is the team coming out of the west." Even on Pardon My Take, PFT Commenter dispensed with the suspense entirely, declaring, "It's gonna be the Colorado Avalanche. We already said they're winning the Stanley Cup."
Despite the optimism, the team faces immediate adversity. Paul Bissonnette warned on Pardon My Take that while he would lean toward the Colorado Avalanche because "they look healthy," the path forward is anything but guaranteed. With the confirmed absence of Cale Makar for Game 1, the narrative may shift from dominance to depth as they prepare to host the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena.
