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5 Reasons For Optimism About The Avalanche's Playoff Chances

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - "It's the home stretch here -- 20 games to go," said Avalanche forward Cody McLeod on Monday night.

Fans of McLeod and the Avalanche have reason to be excited about that home stretch. The team has a 31-27-4 record. They have 66 points, which means they're currently the No. 2 wildcard team.

AVALANCHE'S BATTLE FOR PLAYOFF SPOT: NHL Playoff Picture

McLeod, the guest on Xfinity Monday Live, said he's feeling good about the Avalanche's playoff chances. Here are some of the reasons he expressed for that optimism:

1. Schedule Provides Some Help
McLeod says January was a particularly tough month for the Avalanche because they often played every other day. The remaining schedule looks to be a bit more helpful: "We've got a great rest of the schedule. We've got some breaks in between games so we've got lots of rest. ... We've just got to treat each game like a playoff game," he said on the CBS4 Sports show.

2. The Avalanche Mostly Control Their Own Destiny
"If we take care of our games we're going to get in," McLeod said. "We play the teams that are chasing us and the teams we are chasing us. So if we look after those teams we'll be fine." McLeod upcoming battles against the Minnesota Wild (trailing the Avs) and the Nashville Predators (very slightly ahead) should be exciting.

Colorado Avalanche Practice
The Colorado Avalanche practice (credit: CBS)

3. Roster Doesn't Have Many Weak Spots
"We've got the pieces to do something. We've got a really good hockey team," McLeod said. "Every team in the Western Conference is good. If you look at L.A., they squeak into the playoffs in the eight seed (in 2014) and end up winning the Stanley Cup. You look at the teams around in the West, and any team can win on any given night. Our main goal is just make it in the playoffs and then go from there."

4. Veteran Leadership From Jarome Iginla
"Iginla is a good leader in the dressing room and obviously he puts up a lot of goals for us -- some points -- and he's a big factor on the power play," McLeod said. "He has been around a long time, so he knows what it takes to win and to get to that next level. He has been a great addition."

5. Front Office Helping Out
The Avalanche management made a trade and it resulted in a nice addition to their squad in Shawn Matthias, according to McLeod. "(Matthias) is a great pickup," McLeod said. The 6-foot-4, 231-pound center recorded 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. And he has some recent playoff experience. He played in all six playoff games for the Vancouver Canucks last year, picking up a goal and one assist.

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