3 Important Matchups in Avalanche’s Series vs. the Wild – The Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche

Despite earlier struggles in winning efforts, the Colorado Avalanche made things look easy in their closeout 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The Avalanche entered the series as massive favorites and easily dispatched the far lesser Kings.

Now, things are different and the Avalanche face a stiff test in the Minnesota Wild. Both teams are talent all throughout the lineup, but there are a few key matchups to focus on in this series that could swing things one way or another.

Avalanche PP vs. Wild PK

One of the big talking points as it relates to the Avalanche this season is their struggles on the power play. How can a team featuring so much talent (more on that later) struggle so mightily on the power play? They looked better following the Olympic Break but still weren’t quite where everyone hoped them to be.

On the other side of the coin, the Wild penalty kill struggled badly against a deadly Dallas Stars power play. They gave up 10 power play goals in the six-game series, the most in the playoffs by any team so far.

Can the Avalanche get into a groove and punish the Wild when they gain the man-advantage? In a series that should be tightly contested, a power play goal here or there could wind up deciding at least one game, if not more. If the Avalanche can’t punish the Wild, it will negate a major flaw from the Wild.

Star Power vs. Star Power

The primary focus of this series is going to be the impressive star power from both sides. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas on one side. Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov, and Quinn Hughes on the other. It is a showcase of the best players in the world.

In the series against the Kings, the stars didn’t need to be great. MacKinnon was quiet but ultimately finished with four points in four games. Makar had a pair of goals while Necas had just two assists. The Wild trio was dominant, combining for 10 goals and 26 points in six games, Boldy having six goals in six games himself.

The stakes and the level of competition ramp up in this round. Both top lines will be put to the test in this series. While there will be other factors at play it could come down to which star trio is the better one.

Avalanche Center Depth vs. Wild Center Depth

Perhaps the biggest discrepancy between these two teams is in their depth. The Avalanche just roll guy after guy, any of whom can swing a game. Gabriel Landeskog went from a top-line player to a great depth piece on a team full of great depth pieces.

On paper, however, the biggest mismatch may be the center depth the Avalanche have compared to the Wild. MacKinnon, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, Logan O’Connor, and Jack Drury can all play down the middle or slide to wing.

Can Ryan Hartman, Michael McCarron, and Nick Foligno matchup? It’s a tough ask even if Kadri spends more time on wing than at center. The Avalanche can just roll quality line after quality line out there, and that can wear a team down in a seven-game series.

It’s Going to Be a Battle

This could be the series of the playoffs. Both were two of the top five teams in terms of standings with the Avalanche winning the President’s Trophy. Both possess incredible star power, strong defensive corps, and very good goaltending. This will be a series of inches and bounces, the winner likely being a favorite to win it all.