The Colorado Avalanche have come a long way from the storied 2016-2017 NHL season when they were considered one of the worst teams in history. Now, just three years later, the Avalanche are one of the better teams in the league.

The Avs were one of the favorable picks out of the West this year to hoist the beloved Stanley Cup in the air while confetti fell from the rafters. Unfortunately, Colorado was eliminated from the second round by the Dallas Stars. All of Denver was rooting for the Avs to become the second team from Colorado to overcome a 3-1 deficit within days of each other, but there is a reason it has never happened before: it’s nearly impossible.

“This was not a Cup or bust year by any means. Colorado will likely come back stronger, more mature and hungry for another run at the Cup.”

The Stars gained a 2-0 lead in the series after winning against Colorado 5-3 and 5-2. But you know what they say about a 2-0 in hockey: it is the worst lead in sports. Colorado won game three 6-4 to attempt to get back to tying the series. Dallas was not too interested in that and won game four 5-4 to expand its series lead to 3-1. Looking for a comeback, the Avs forced a game seven after two dominating games. However, the Stars crushed Avs fans after winning 5-4 in overtime.

Nathan MacKinnon showed how valuable he is for this Avalanche all season. He is even a finalist and a true contender for the Hart Trophy. MacKinnon brought his regular-season momentum into the playoffs as he held a 14-game playoff point-streak through the playoffs, the eighth-highest ever.

The streak came to a tough end in the game seven loss against the Stars when MacKinnon did not score a single point. The streak coming to an end almost represents the unfortunate end to the Avalanche run.

The other big reason the Avalanche were unable to complete the impossible is one that always haunts potential: injuries. The Avalanche saw injuries to goalie Philipp Grubauer and backup Pavel Francouz, which is tough to get by. Other injuries included: Matt Calvert, captain Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Johnson and Joonas Donskoi, all key players for the Avs and crucial pieces to a Cup run.

Should Avs fans be worried now that this team was eliminated from the second-round in back-to-back years? Absolutely not. This was not a Cup or bust year by any means. Colorado will likely come back stronger, more mature and hungry for another run at the Cup.

Tyler Meguire can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @TMeguire.