Avalanche are “kind of better than” the rest of the NHL

The Colorado Avalanche wanted revenge in Sunday evening’s tilt against the Minnesota Wild. But it wasn’t the typical sort of vengeance. The Avalanche skated into the Xcel Energy Center looking for retribution, not for their 3-2 shootout loss on November 28.

It was payback for these post-game comments by Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt:

"It kind of says that we're a better team than them. We beat them. So that felt good."

Wallstedt’s comments came on the heels of stopping 39 shots, including saves on Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in the shootout round.

The Swedish netminder’s words came back to bite him in the rear end on Sunday. The Avalanche laid the wood on the Wild. Colorado skated away with a convincing 5-1 win over the Wild. If there was any doubt as to who is “kind of better” in the NHL, it’s the Colorado Avalanche.

Had the Avalanche won a tight, one-goal game, the Wild could have brushed it off. They could have come back and made their case about how it was a game of bounces.

That was hardly the case. The Avalanche led the game 3-0 after 40 minutes. Their power play came back to life just at the precise moment.

That’s what this game was all about. It was all about the Avalanche, leaving little doubt that they’re the toast of the NHL this season.

Avalanche Makar proves why he’s the best defenseman in NHL

The Avalanche also made another crucial statement on Sunday. They effectively neutralized the positive effect Quinn Hughes has had on the Wild. Since joining the Wild, Hughes has played a ton of minutes for the team. And it’s helped them get a jump on their opponents.

But not against the Avalanche. Colorado effectively neutralized Hughes’ impact on the ice. Hughes played for nearly 27 minutes across 22 shifts. He did not register a point and ended the game with a minus-1.

Cale Makar, meanwhile, ended the game with a goal and two assists. He proved why he’s the best defenseman in the NHL. Makar took the head-to-head competition and did not back down. He left virtually no room to doubt why he’s got a stranglehold on the Norris Trophy.

Entering Monday’s action, Makar is tied for ninth in the NHL scoring race. Makar has a share of that spot with the Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele and Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov.

Please bear in mind that Makar is a defenseman. Hughes, for his part, is 85th with 26 points. Granted, Hughes has missed some games due to injury this season. But he’s not even a point-per-game player. Makar, instead, averages 1.23 points per game.

That number pretty much tells the entire story.