Avalanche’s Trophy Hangover Hits Hard as Final Begins

The Avalanche are walking into the Stanley Cup Final with the old Presidents’ Trophy curse hanging over everything like a bad omen with skates on. Denver Gazette’s Starting Lineup frames it as a painful opening to the series, and that’s exactly the kind of pressure that turns every shift into a referendum. The Avs have the talent to push through it, but the first chapter of this Final already feels heavier than a normal Game 1.