The Minnesota Wild walked into this playoff series knowing it wouldn't be easy. After grinding through six physical games against the Dallas Stars, they're now without key players Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin. Against a high-octane offense like the Colorado Avalanche, those are the last guys you want to lose to injury. They may return when the series shifts to Minnesota, but right now, the Wild's game plan simply isn't working.

The Avalanche set a franchise record with nine goals in Game 1, eight of which came against goalie Jesper Wallstedt. In Game 2, they followed up with four against Filip Gustavsson and an empty netter to win 5-2, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead. Suddenly, Game 3 carries enormous weight for the Wild, who are fighting to stay alive.

The problem is clear: Minnesota is giving Colorado too much space to operate. In the first period of Game 2, Nathan MacKinnon seemed to have more rush opportunities than he had in any game against Los Angeles. The same was true in Game 1 for both MacKinnon and Martin Necas. The Wild's penalty kill, which struggled against the Stars, has continued to falter. The Avalanche went from average on the power play this season to lethal after the Olympic break, and they're now 3-for-7 against Minnesota. On the flip side, Colorado's penalty kill is perfect at 5-for-5, covering a full 10 minutes of shorthanded time.

When Nathan MacKinnon is playing at this level, the Avalanche are tough to beat. After managing just one point in the first three games against the Los Angeles Kings, he's now posted three points in three games. The Wild need to find answers fast—or this series could slip away completely.