Jared Bednar is the Avalanche. And now they need him more than he needed them. They need defensive buy-in.
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar works the pine during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Two years is not a long time. But the Stanley Cup parade feels like forever ago. No longer are the Avs entering the season, which starts Wednesday night, as the favorite to win a championship. That honor belongs to the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars.
He wants to succeed as much as the next coach, and this season he will have to convince the players to buy into his long point of emphasis: The Avs lost their way at the end of last season, their breakdowns staggering as they were stunning. Throw in the suspension of Nichushkin before the puck dropped in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars last May, and any chance of regaining their traction disappeared.
But this group requires consistent defense to ease the pressure on Alexander Georgiev, a solid goalie, whose slumps call for gulping Tums. No conversation about Bednar’s coaching occurs without the word “accountability” surfacing. Bednar cites the word in his press conferences. And players insist it is not hollow. They say he is fair in conversations, but hard on them. It remains tricky when leading an accomplished team, knowing when to hit the gas and when to throttle back. Too much of either creates static that morphs into background noise.
Once you have engraved names on Lord Stanley’s Cup, and the core remains in place, that is what everyone seeks. It is the foundation of everything the Avs do, and Bednar, perhaps more than ever, must be this team’s Bedrock.
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