Call it an avalanche or call it wild, but the 15 goals that were scored in Game 1 between Colorado and Minnesota were a loud testament to the star power on tap in this series.
The Avalanche jumped out to a 3-0 lead, trailed 5-4 and won 9-6. It was the first time in NHL playoff history that the sequence occurred.
There were seven goals off the rush and the Avalanche triggered 43 shots on goal to the Wild’s 36.
That’s a wacky 60 minutes of play considering both of these clubs were ranked top five overall in fewest goals allowed throughout the regular season.
The Avalanche are pricey -192 favorites on the moneyline to win Game 2, but if there is anything we learned from the opener, it’s that the Wild can respond.
Wild vs. Avalanche prediction, best bet
A lot of this sloppiness came on the tails of an emotional victory over the Stars three days prior. That was the first playoff series win for the franchise in 11 years, and the transition showed.
The season series, which was split two games apiece, reflected remarkably narrow scoring margins: the Avalanche outscored the Wild 11-10 while the Wild’s power play (3-for-14) edged the Avalanche’s (2-for-13). Minnesota also registered 30-plus shots in three of those meetings.
For one thing, Quinn Hughes has elevated Minnesota’s transition game significantly: the Wild buried four high-danger goals on 13 chances.
Two of the Wild’s best defensive players in Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin were out due to injury in Game 1. Both will remain absent in Game 2, but the breakdown was more about uncharacteristic mistakes than personnel. Multiple goals came off lost faceoffs and defensive-zone coverage issues — departments in which the Wild are strong.
Minnesota has won 52.7 percent of its draws in these playoffs, which is fourth-highest overall.
Betting on the NHL?
Filip Gustavsson will take over in the cage after rookie Jesper Wallstedt’s eight goals allowed for an .810 save percentage. While Gustavsson only brings 11 games of experience, a goaltending switch can breathe new life into a playoff run.
The Wild have veteran leadership that know the Avalanche. Vladimir Tarasenko has 35 points in 50 career games against the Avs while Mats Zuccarello has tallied 34 in 38 games.
Let’s expect the Wild to come back down to earth and make the necessary adjustments to tiw this series.
THE PLAY: Wild (+170, DraftKings)
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Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.