The Colorado Avalanche prevailed in a rollercoaster affair to open their second-round Stanley Cup series against the Minnesota Wild. Early on, it looked like the makings of a blowout as Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Minnesota punched back with some rapid response goals of their own, and even took a very brief 5-4 lead in the middle frame. The Avalanche evened things up 5-5, and then outscored the Wild 4-1 in the final 20 minutes.
In the end, Colorado restored the three-goal margin on the scoreboard. Thus, to casual puck enjoyers, the win seems pretty convincing. Still, I think every player up and down the lineup knows they have plenty to clean up for tonight's Game 2.
Colorado has proven they can win in a multitude of ways. Their overall adaptability will be a major strength in any postseason challenge. You couldn't script a more fundamentally different scenario than the stylistic shift from Los Angeles to Minnesota. But I would argue that the Avalanche have been laser-focused on redemption since May 3rd, 2025.
On that painful night, exactly one year from Sunday night's Game 1, the Avalanche were decimated in a shocking 4-2 loss to Dallas in a Game 7. To make matters worse, it was their old pal Mikko Rantanen who finished off the burgundy and blue. Colorado's former number 96 notched a hat trick to send the Avalanche out in Round 1.
A historic season led to this moment
For so many reasons, a third-straight postseason meeting with Dallas felt inevitable. The club would hardly acknowledge this sentiment, but a franchise record in regular season points speaks volumes. The Avalanche knew they wanted to avoid a first-round matchup with either of the other two top teams in the Western Conference. The top seed was the only way to guarantee that preferred path. Oh, and it also secured home ice advantage.
All season long, revenge seemed like a theme simmering under the surface for the Avalanche. Maybe being the best team virtually all year long makes this little stat less eye-popping, but did you know that the Avalanche quite literally beat everyone? Indeed, Colorado spread their 55 wins around so that every team in the league could experience their dominance.
In fact, only four opponents, all of them divisional foes, were able to best the Avalanche twice. Among those teams, Dallas, Nashville, Winnipeg and Minnesota - only the Wild remain. What this says about the team in general is not just that they are good. That much is obvious, but more importantly, they are resilient.
The Colorado Avalanche don't just think they are the top team in hockey. They look driven to prove it. I know it's just five games, but consider another crazy statistic. Against Los Angeles, the Avalanche trailed one time, 0-1 in the 3rd period of Game 2, for about 3 minutes. Against the Wild, in the midst of hair-on-fire hockey, the Wild grabbed the lead for just 1:09. Call me crazy, but I don't think this team likes being down.
I'm not silly enough to think the Avalanche are going to run the table on the way to a fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history. But I do think that the kind of bounce-back they have shown demonstrates not just their supreme talent, but a burning desire to win.
The Minnesota Wild might not be the team that Colorado thought they would face in the second round, but they are the next best target to feel this furious vengeance. If you can't have the Stars, why not take down the team that robbed you of that chance? So, the stars didn't align for a perfect storybook showdown. At least we know the hockey Gods have a sense of humor. A score of 9-6 exactly one year after their old #96 broke their hearts.
A surprise cross-sports twist
It might seem as though I'm saying this matchup doesn't have the same juice as Colorado vs Dallas. But if you know me at all, you probably know I'm a dual sports sicko. As invested as I am in every Avalanche game, I'm as equally obsessed with the Denver Nuggets.
Sadly, my beloved Nuggets fell last week in Game 6 of their own first-round series against the Timberwolves, another team from Minnesota. Now, the animosity of that rivalry actually mirrors the Avalanche near blood-feud with Dallas in another way, too. Although the playoff defeats for the Nuggets at the hands of the TWolves aren't consecutive, they were just as heart-rending. A Game 7 collapse in 2024, followed by this year's first-round letdown.
I know I'm not the only fan of Colorado who is looking for some kind of cosmic balance to this two state rivalry. Obviously the Kroenke family, who owns both the Avalanche and Nuggets, are now thinking along these same lines. Again, it's nothing that players will bring up independently, especially not while embroiled in their very singular championship chase. But it's doubtlessly being talked about by fans and more quietly in the halls of Ball Arena.
It's well known, for instance, that Nuggets players like Peyton Watson, and especially Bruce Brown love to take in some live puck and support the Avalanche. In addition, there is an MVP friendship between megastars Nathan MacKinnon and Nikola Jokic. The two actually took turns presenting each other with their respective MVP trophies in 2024.
Naysayers might claim that this is simply Kroenke Sports flexing their muscle, and that's certainly warranted. But both MacKinnon and Jokic have spoken about being inspired by each other's greatness. If you are inclined to think that's all fluff, I can't stop you. But consider this final tantalizing fact. After the Avalanche last lifted Lord Stanley in 2022, the Nuggets followed suit and won their first ever NBA title the next season in 2023.
Sure, my greatest sports-related dream is to see both of my favorite teams win in the same year. But just as I've said throughout this article, perfection is for scripts and storybooks. Reality is all about what materializes before you. If revenge lives in the heart of a fandom, it's only fitting it would be messy and multi-facted.
Add us as a preferred source on Google