May 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) shakes hands with Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (29) after the Stars defeats the Avalanche in game seven of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Avalanche Set Miserable Record in Game 7 Loss

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated May 4, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Colorado Avalanche entered the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs as a championship contender. Especially after fortifying their forward depth at the deadline, the Avs were primed to go on their deepest postseason run since their 2022 Stanley Cup winning campaign.

Instead, the Avalanche set the worst possible postseason record. Thanks to their loss against the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avs have dropped seven consecutive Game 7s. According to OptaSTATS, that is a new major North American sports record. They are now the first team in the history of the NHL, MLB, AND NBA to lose seven consecutive do-or-die games.

The Avalanche are the first team in MLB/NBA/NHL history to lose 7 consecutive Game 7s.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 4, 2025

The disappointing trend is sure to be the team's focus all offseason long. Since the team captured Stanley Cup glory in 2022, they have come up short consistently.

Part of the problem is their inability to hold onto leads. They struggled with that all series long against the Stars, and it cost them their season in Game 7. The Avs were up 2-0 with 18 minutes remaining in the third period. That type of lead is defendable for a championship team, but the Avalanche are not a championship team presently, and they surrendered four straight unanswered goals in defeat.

Now the management staff in Colorado must address this issue. They have two of the best players in the world in Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. Each is a perennial MVP candidate and among the elite in their respective positions.

The question is, how should the rest of the roster look? Their attempts at building a supplementary group around their stars have come up short three years in a row. Something has to change in Colorado, otherwise they will extend their miserable record in 2026.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: