Avalanche-Red Wings: A Rivalry Renewed

Ever since their arrival in Denver over a decade ago, the Colorado Avalanche have been a thorn in the sides of the Detroit Red Wings.

Their rivalry has been nothing short of a love-hate relationship ever since. But for some reason, the postseason is when this rivalry hits an all-time high…and in some cases, low.

On Thursday night, the fire that lay dormant for quite some time will return with a vengeance.

After dispatching the Minnesota Wild in five games, Colorado now draws the Wings in its cross-hairs. Ever since the return of Peter Forsberg, the Avs have torn through the rest of the Western Conference en route to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But thanks to San Jose beating Calgary, the Avs didn’t get the Dallas Stars as originally thought.

Instead, they get to beat up on the team that has been dubbed as “The Oakland Raiders of the NHL” by the city of Denver.

In the previous five playoff meetings between these two, the Avs took three of those meetings from Detroit, but Detroit has returned to superiority this season. This makes many wonder if the Avalanche can pull another Mile High Miracle with the heavily-favored Red Wings.

I’m here to say that Colorado will do the impossible once again and defeat Detroit for the fourth time.

It is rather ironic that the original crew has reunited in Denver at the perfect time. The fire that consumed this rivalry was starting to simmer down to nothing more than something on a gas stove. Now times have changed, and this time around, the Avalanche are tougher and stronger than previous years.

To top it off, they thrive more on being the underdogs than the favorites. That’s how they won their two Stanley Cups: Their first one in their inaugural season in Denver against the well-favored Florida Panthers, and the second in 2001 against the “unstoppable” New Jersey Devils and Martin Brodeur.

This is the perfect series to prove that point to all the naysayers and critics of the Avalanche this season.

This series can go to seven games, but in the interest of fairness, and the auspicious sixth meeting of these rivals, I say that Colorado wins in six games.

Now isn’t that “six-sational?”