There have been some criticisms of the 24-team playoff format the NHL has approved for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Instead of the traditional 16-team playoff format, there will be 24 teams earning a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin tournament to determine the top four seeds in the playoffs. The remaining teams, seeded by conference, will play a best-of-five series to determine who advances to the traditional 16-team playoff. This is where the Blues and Avalanche rivalry kicks in.
While there are criticisms of this unique format, mainly directed at the additional teams who may not have made the playoffs under usual circumstances, there is a positive aspect of this format. A rivalry that has been budding for a few years could reach a peak. That rivalry is between the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche.
The Seeds of a Blues and Avalanche Rivalry
While this has not had a direct affect on the teams themselves, Blues fans have always felt extra motivation to beat the Avalanche since January 2016, when Avalanche and Rams owner Stan Kroenke decided to relocate the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles–and spoke negatively of St. Louis in the process. During all Blues and Avalanche games from that point on, including the games in Colorado, chants of “Kroenke sucks” could be heard from Blues fans.
The seeds of the rivalry between the Blues and Avalanche were planted on April 7, 2018. The Blues and Avalanche faced off in the final game of the regular season with the final playoff spot in the Western Conference on the line. The Blues needed just one of a possible two points to clinch the spot, but the Avalanche won 5-2, leapfrogging the Blues and going on to the playoffs. While Blues fans will argue that the loss is what helped prompt general manager Doug Armstrong to make the transactions that he did that offseason (trading for Ryan O’Reilly, signing Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon, etc.), a grueling game like that in recent memory is not something so quickly forgotten.
The Seeds Grew This Season
This season, the Blues and the Avalanche have been two of the best teams in the NHL. The Blues won the first two matchups of the season, 3-1 and 5-2. Both games were played in St. Louis. The next two were played in Colorado, where the Avalanche returned the favor with 7-3 and 5-3 victories. The two teams were supposed to meet again in the final game of the regular season in Colorado. That game would have most likely been for the Central Division and the top seed in the Western Conference.
At the time the regular season was paused, the Blues led the Central Division by only two points over the Avalanche. The two teams had gone back and forth the entire season. There was no reason to think that the final game of the regular season would not have meant something.
The fans of both teams participated in the budding rivalry in the “last man in” vote for the final roster spot on the Central Division’s All-Star roster. Avalanche fans were insistent that rookie defensemen Cale Makar should make the team. At the time the “last man in” ballot was announced, Makar’s 21 points ranked second in the league for rookies and eighth in the league for all defencemen.
Blues’ fans wanted to get a fourth Blue, David Perron, into the game. At the time the ballot was announced, Perron led the Blues in points and had four overtime-winning goals. That led the league. Perron ended up winning the vote, to the dismay of Avalanche fans. They believed that Perron only won the vote due to the All-Star Game being held in St. Louis.
How the Blues and Avalanche Rivalry Can Bloom
Nothing makes a rivalry bloom like a postseason series. The Blues and the Avalanche nearly met in the Western Conference Final last season, but the Avalanche fell one win short of beating the San Jose Sharks and advancing. If the two teams met in the playoffs this season, there would be some extra intensity based on the division race that was so close. It could have conceivably gone to the final regular-season game.
Due to the unique playoff format this season, the Blues and the Avalanche will not have to wait for a playoff series to get their hands on each other. Both teams sit in one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference. A round-robin tournament will be played to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The four teams will play each other and earn points for wins, just like in the regular season. The team with the most points will earn the top seed in the Western Conference. While the Blues may have gotten credit for the Central Division title, the top seed for the playoffs will be up for grabs.
Regardless of where the Blues and the Avalanche place, the earliest they could meet would be the second round of the playoffs. With both teams talent, it would not have been surprising to see both finish in the top two seeds. This would open up the possibility of a meeting in the Western Conference Final. The two teams who went back and forth in the division would make a perfect matchup. A best-of-seven series to determine who advances to the Stanley Cup Final would feature great intensity. It could very well end up being the best series of the entire postseason.
How the Rivalry Can Be Sustained
A back-and-forth division race that ended prematurely, a round-robin tournament to determine seeding, and a possible meeting in the playoffs; all will help the rivalry sustain itself for the 2020-21 season. But what about beyond? Is this a rivalry that can last?
The answer is yes. The core of both teams will be intact for a few more seasons. For the Blues, star forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly are under contract through the 2022-23 season. For the Avalanche, star forward Nathan MacKinnon is under contract through 2022-23, while Mikko Rantanen is under contract until the 2024-25 season.
With their cores intact, both teams should be competitive in the division. This means yearly battles for the division titles and possible meetings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The rivalry seeds have been planted. They have bloomed. While the future is uncertain, the potential for a strong rivalry exists.
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