In Avalanche Turnaround, Communication Has Been Key

I am still taking the training wheels off here but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice something has changed for this Avs team that just couldn’t seem to find their groove the first part of the season.

The Avs have a nice little win streak going and, to be honest, this is the type of play fans have been expecting to see since opening night. We just really haven’t seen it and seen it consistently. Ever since the back-to-back losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team has gotten back on track with expectations.

There is one question that seems to be asked at every press conference and it’s “What has changed with this team from the first part of the season to now?”

Coach Jared Bednar mentioned it last week, saying, “Promoting communication between the players is something we are trying to do.”

You can tell during practice, the guys are slapping their sticks on the ice, they are yelling at each other for the puck, and just in general, talking more.

This isn’t the same team as last year. The team has been battling injuries early this season and as a result, there has been a lot of different faces and shifting around. Communication, trust, and rapport don’t happen overnight. Winning helps everything, but things seem to be settling down and the team is back to playing the style of hockey that had them as the Stanley Cup favorite at the start of the season.

Communication is key in relationships, work, and pretty much everything else in life. It’s no different on the ice. It’ll be interesting to see as the Avs start to get players back, how those guys jump in.