Coyotes Official Accuses Avalanche of Tanking for No. 1 Pick

In life, no matter what your goal is, there are surely many others fighting towards the same destination. Competitiveness is what separates those who reach that goal from those who don't. It's one of the pillar ethos in sports. To allege that a lack of competitiveness is intentional is about as bad as it gets.

After Thursday night's game between the dismal Coyotes and the dismal-er Avalanche, a Coyotes team official leveled such an accusation against Colorado.

Riding down the elevator tonight, after the latest dismal Avs showing against Phoenix, a Coyotes team official said out loud, "The tank job is in, isn't it?" He was talking about YOUR Colorado Avalanche.

Serious or not, what the unnamed Phoenix official said is what a couple of other league-related people have also mused lately - the possibility that the Avs are, in fact, tanking it down the stretch to get the highest possible draft choice this June.

OK, granted, the Avalanche have been awful lately. Some, such as our own Kevin Schultz and Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy, have rightfully pointed towards the bevy of injuries that have befallen the Avalanche as proof that their falling woefully behind the pack doesn't have sinister origins.

My opinion: even if the Avalanche are tanking, so what? They're fighting hard towards a goal just like the rest of the league is, it's just a different goal. While some are fighting for the Cup, or home ice advantage, or a spot in the playoffs, or self-pride, the Avalanche's goal (again, assuming they are tanking) is to get that No. 1 overall pick. And I don't have a problem with it.

Sometimes, sacrificing in the short term to benefit in the long term is understandable. And it's not as if tanking is without its risks, so if the Avalanche are tanking it wouldn't be without its potential consequences.

The one thing that bothers me is that if they're going to tank it, really tank it. Colorado is 2-7-1 in their last 10. Two wins? That's unacceptable. To be the worst, you have to try. By winning those two games, the Avalanche aren't dedicated to being the worst they can be. That lack of competitiveness is a shame.