The Colorado Avalanche are proving that depth and dynamism can be a lethal combination in the playoffs, and the Minnesota Wild are left scrambling for answers after a 14-goal statement to open their second-round series.
Following a 5-2 victory in Game 2, the Avalanche now hold a commanding 2-0 series lead, and the Wild are searching for any foothold. “It’s one game at a time,” said Wild forward Matt Boldy. “It’s coming into the next game ready to go. Make our adjustments and be better. You don’t win a series with two wins. That’s our mind-set.”
So far, adjustments have been hard to come by. The Avalanche have pummeled both Minnesota goaltenders, scoring eight goals on Jesper Wallstedt in a 9-6 Game 1 win and four more on Filip Gustavsson in Game 2. The 14 total goals are the most by any team in the first two games of a playoff series since the Calgary Flames scored 15 against the Los Angeles Kings back in 1988.
What’s truly remarkable is how the scoring has been spread out. Twelve different Colorado players have found the back of the net—an NHL record for the first two games of a series—and 10 players have already registered multiple points. “It’s great. I mean, right now, that’s what you need,” said defenseman Cale Makar. “You need everybody contributing and we’re finding ways to do that. There’s a lot of jelling minds right now.”
Head coach Jared Bednar was asked if he knew his team had this kind of firepower. “I was hoping we did,” he said. “We’re getting it now, right, and it doesn’t mean we’re always going to get the depth scoring. But I think all of our lines and players are capable of producing. Players are going to go through hot streaks, cold streaks, but I also feel like playoff time when everything’s on the line, that could drag the best out of your group.”
The Avalanche are coming off a first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings, a series that forced them into a more defensive, grind-it-out style. Now, they’ve flipped the script and are unleashing an offensive onslaught that has the Wild reeling as the series shifts to St. Paul.