Avalanche seek commanding series lead over Minnesota Wild
The march to the Stanley Cup Finals is in full swing. There was no question that the star-laden Avalanche had the firepower to make a deep run, and they have delivered so far in the postseason.
Standing at a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs, the Avs have steamrolled their way to a 2-0 lead over the Wild in this Western Conference Semifinal matchup. While Colorado has cruised, the Minnesota Wild have already had to grind through eight demanding postseason games. On Saturday night, the Avalanche hope to build on their momentum and claim a dominant, 3-0 lead while putting the Wild into do-or-die mode.
Betting Odds
- Moneyline: Minnesota Wild +108, Colorado Avalanche -129
- Puckline: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+185), Minnesota Wild +1.5 (-229)
- Total (Over/Under): 6.5 (Over +106 / Under -128)
Preview & Matchup
This Western Conference Semifinal hasn’t been much of a contest so far. Through the first two games of the series, the Avalanche have torched Minnesota, putting up a whopping 14 goals. The Wild want to drag the Avs into the mud and play a gritty, grinding style of hockey, but Colorado matched their physicality in Game 2, while still using their speed to fly around the ice and create scoring opportunities.
Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon has been dominant through the first two games, tallying six points against the Wild. When he’s producing at that level, the rest of the lineup tends to elevate as well. Norris Trophy finalist Cale Makar has been actively jumping into the rush, contributing three points of his own to keep Minnesota’s defense on its heels. Both of the Wild’s goaltenders have struggled, posting a collective .813 save percentage in this series.
The biggest mismatch, however, has been on special teams. Colorado’s power play has converted three times on seven opportunities against Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Wild have gone scoreless on all five of their power-play chances against Colorado’s penalty killers. For the entire postseason, the Wild’s penalty kill sits at a shockingly low 59.4 percent, a number that’s very difficult to overcome in the playoffs, especially against an offense as potent as Colorado’s.
Injuries are also shaping this series. Minnesota is missing key pieces, including two-way center Joel Eriksson Ek and shutdown defenseman Jonas Brodin. Zach Bogosian also missed Game 2, further thinning their depth. The Avs have their own injury concerns, as Josh Manson sat out Game 2 with an upper-body issue and Joel Kiviranta remains sidelined, but Colorado’s roster depth has helped absorb those losses more effectively, and Manson may even return for Game 3 on Saturday.
Going into tonight, the approach for Colorado is straightforward: maintain pace and pressure while avoiding too many giveaways. Minnesota lacks the defensive personnel to contain Colorado’s top line, particularly without Brodin available. If the Avs control play and draw penalties, they have the special teams advantage to pull away. Look for Colorado to push the tempo early and test that depleted Minnesota blue line.
The Pick
The Avalanche are clicking on all cylinders right now, and the Wild are simply too banged-up to put up their best fight against this level of talent. With Minnesota missing crucial defensive pieces and their penalty kill struggling badly, Colorado’s offense should continue to find opportunities.
MacKinnon and Makar have been dominant, and the power play is well-positioned to capitalize on Minnesota’s mistakes. The Avs are 6-0 in the playoffs for a reason, and they have the momentum, the depth, and the talent to extend this streak. Minnesota may try to play physical hockey at home, but Colorado hasn’t been fazed by that, and their speed advantage should prove decisive. Back the Avalanche to take a 3-0 series lead.
Colorado Avalanche Moneyline (-129)
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Sportradar Content Studio contributed to this story.