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General Manager Joe Sakic says the Colorado Avalanche have developed a sense of purpose in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup.
The Avalanche, 4/1 to be crowned Champions in 2021/22, hold first place in the NHL regular season standings and with a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday reached 100 points with a 47-14-6 record.
Colorado won the Presidents' trophy last season as the NHL's best regular-season team going 39-13-4.
Despite their success in the regular season, Sakic's side haven't managed to translate that into a sustained playoff run yet and have been eliminated in the second round in each of the past three seasons.
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However, Sakic believes his team's fortunes are set to change as the group assembled matures and develops a sense of urgency.
52-year-old Sakic led the Avalanche as Captain to two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. He retired in 2009 and had his number 19 jersey retired by the franchise in 2010.
The hall of fame inductee has been a part of Colorado's off-ice managerial team since 2010 and was named GM in 2013.
Sakic said to NHL.com: "Listen, we thought we had a really good shot last year and it didn't happen. Whether you lose the first round, second, third, the goal is to try to win the Stanley Cup.
"I think our guys have grown and matured. Now we still have to get to the playoffs, and a lot of good things have to happen, but we see the maturity and sense of purpose. It's there."
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