Goaltending Will Make-or-Break Avalanche Season

The Colorado Avalanche will have to rely on solid goaltending to again contend for a Stanley Cup.

May 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (40) and goaltender Justus Annunen (60) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars in the overtime period in game one of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche have been consistent contenders for the Stanley Cup since superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon took off as one of the NHL’s top players. They secured the Cup in 2022 but haven’t brought the same juice in the postseason since.

Subpar goaltending from the Avalanche organization has been blamed for many of the postseason letdowns in the last few seasons. They won the Cup with Darcey Kuemper between the pipes, but he departed that offseason.

The Avalanche brought in Alexandar Georgiev to replace Kuemper, and he’s gotten a ton of looks in his first two seasons in Colorado. In 125 appearances, he’s picked up a 78-34-11 record but has cracked under pressure.

Heading into the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there was genuine concern about who should be Colorado's starting netminder.

Georgiev finished the season on a 1-3-2 run, while prospect Justus Annunen had an 8-4-1 record through the regular season. The Avalanche ended up going with Georgiev, who got them out of the first round but lost to the Dallas Stars in six games in the second round.

The Avalanche appear to be heading into the 2024-25 season with Georgiev and Annunen as their goaltending duo, but it will be a make-or-break year for the usual starter.

Former NHL coach Bruce Boudreau says it’ll be up to the goaltending to turn the Avalanche back into contenders.

“I’d like to see him be more consistent,” Boudreau said on NHL Network. “I seem to like Colorado, and I like watching Nathan MacKinnon play as much as I can. If they get good goaltending, they’re going to be a pretty solid team.”

MacKinnon is looking to follow up his MVP campaign with another successful season. He’ll need the help of his team to get back to the mountaintop, and Georgiev is heading into a contract year. With the hopes of a lucrative new deal, Georgiev will have to bring his best all season.

Annunen, on the other hand, is on the verge of taking over as the starter. If he gets his chance and proves to give the Avalanche a better chance at winning, it could spell the end of Georgiev in Colorado.

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