The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild got off to one of the most untamed (dare I say “wild”) playoff series we’ve seen in a long time.
While not every game will be a 9-6 slugfest, though it wouldn’t be boring by any means, the expectation is that this series will be much tougher for both the Wild and Avalanche.
That situation prompted the writing staff at The Athletic to embark on playoff predictions for the remainder of this postseason. The crew took a stab at the Wild-Avalanche series, with the bulk of the predictions focusing on the Avs prevailing in a seven-game showdown.
No offense to Minnesota or The Athletic’s staff. I wouldn’t be referring to them if I didn’t respect their opinions. But picking the Avalanche to win the series in seven is off the rails. The Avalanche made minced meat out of the Wild’s tough, reliable defense.
They made Jesper Wallstedt eat his words after famously dissing the Avalanche following a shootout win at the beginning of the season.
Yes, the Wild will hang tough, but it’s unlikely they’ll have the horsepower to match the Avalanche.
James Mirtle offered the best insight into the series:
“Colorado and Nathan MacKinnon have felt like they're on a mission all season. This should be a great, close series, but I don't see the Avs run ending this early, even with the way Quinn Hughes has elevated Minnesota’s play.”
The Wild deserve credit in Game 1. They could have folded when the score was 3-0. Instead, they clawed their way back into the game. That was a gutsy performance that no one can deny. Minnesota had its chances to win the game. But Scott Wedgewood shut the door when he needed to.
That was the difference in Game 1.
As for Game 2 and beyond, the expectation will be for much tighter contests. While a 5-4 game wouldn’t be out of the question, both sides will want to get off to a strong start. The Wild will be eyeing a split, while the Avalanche will be looking to get into the driver’s seat.
Tuesday night’s matchup could be the most important contest of this series. The Avalanche have an opportunity to put a chokehold on the Wild with a win.
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