Wild vs. Avalanche Game 2: Key takeaways as Colorado takes a commanding 2-0 series lead

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff bracketNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Playoffs Nicolas Roy celebrates his second-period goal, which gave the Avs a 3-1 lead on Tuesday. Tyler Schank / Getty Images Share article6DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche will be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself, and the Minnesota Wild will surely be hoping that it does. For the ninth time in franchise history, the Wild are facing an uphill climb from 2-0 down to attempt to win a series. They’ve only rallied to win one of those series, and that was in 2014 when the Avs won the first two home games and the Wild returned to St. Paul and won all three of their home games before winning a Game 7 in Denver. This is a very different Avs team, though, so this 2-0 series lead after Tuesday night’s 5-2 Colorado victory at Ball Arena has a different feel. For one, the Wild have three players injured, including their two best defensive players. For two, the Avs were the best offensive and defensive team in the NHL this season, won the Presidents’ Trophy, have a superstar defenseman in Cale Makar and a Nathan MacKinnon who’s no longer a rookie and 12 years older. The Wild, after giving up nine goals in Game 1, made the bold decision to dust off Filip Gustavsson, who had not played since April 13, and bench Jesper Wallstedt, who went 4-2 with a 2.05 GAA and .924 save percentage in the first round against the Dallas Stars but gave up a career-high eight goals in Game 1. It didn’t bode well when Gustavsson gave up goals on the first two shots he faced and another on a harmless-looking shot to open the second period. Martin Nečas and Kirill Kaprizov scored six seconds apart in the first period, but the Avs would soon take the lead and didn’t relinquish it. Gabriel Landeskog extended his point streak to five games with a power-play goal, and Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal and had two assists for his 21st career multi-point playoff game, passing Hall of Famer and Avs president Joe Sakic for the most in franchise history. Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood rebounded after allowing six goals in Game 1, making 29 saves. The Wild and Avs will now have three off days in a row as the series heads to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday nights. The Wild are hoping the off days allow for injured Joel Eriksson Ek to return to their lineup at home. Coach John Hynes talked about how “hungry” Gustavsson was to return to the net and make his playoff debut on Tuesday, saying that the goaltender didn’t “cede” the net to Wallstedt, who started the team’s first seven playoff games, and that Gustavsson was ready for this moment. But Gustavsson looked like a goalie who hadn’t played a game in three weeks, at least at the start. Gustavsson gave up a goal on each of the first two shots in a shaky first period, and the third goal by the Avalanche is one he probably wants back. The first goal was off the rush by Nečas, who backhanded a shot from the slot through traffic. The second one, Gustavsson didn’t have much of a chance on, as MacKinnon put it on a tee in front for a wide-open Landeskog on a first-period power play. Gustavsson settled in a little bit after that, but the third goal by the Avalanche was an unscreened shot from the slot by Nicolas Roy, giving Colorado a 3-1 lead one minute into the second period. The best ability is availability, and Jonas Brodin’s unavailability this series is hampering the Wild’s ability to have any shot. The Brodin-Jared Spurgeon pair was so good during the regular season and was on the ice for only two five-on-five goals against Dallas. Jake Middleton’s start to this series has been a severe downgrade. He was on for both first-period goals Tuesday and committed the turnover on a breakout that led to Roy’s early second-period goal. Middleton has been on the ice for nine of the Avs’ 14 goals in the series and Spurgeon eight. The Landeskog power-play goal 15 seconds into a careless Yakov Trenin offensive-zone penalty came because of Middleton’s sloppy dive to the ice to try to intercept MacKinnon’s pass. As one Wild former penalty killer said via text, “Lead with stick. Don’t slide, especially the way he slid … too many holes.” Interestingly, Daemon Hunt took Middleton’s spot with Brock Faber on penalty kills the rest of the night. With Zach Bogosian injured and Jeff Petry inserted and put on a third pair with Hunt, you knew assistant coach Jack Capuano was concerned about his second pair when he began giving Quinn Hughes and Faber defensive-zone starts early in the game. The nine goals Colorado racked up in Game 1 showed just how explosive it can be. But the Avalanche were also the league’s best team during the regular season because of how stingy they can be defensively, allowing the fewest goals per game in the league (2.40 per game). And they put on a checking clinic for good chunks of Game 2 against the Wild. They didn’t give Minnesota a ton, especially off the rush (except for Kaprizov’s first-period goal), keeping the Wild to the outside and limiting second chances and rebounds. And, once again, the Avalanche kept Matt Boldy in check. Boldy, the Wild’s biggest gamebreaker in the first round, with six goals, was shut out for the second straight game. Boldy, who had an assist and three shots in Game 1, had zero points in Game 2. The Wild’s power play did look better than it has in a while, tallying six shots on goal on its first-period opportunity. MacKinnon noted that last round, “The Kings didn’t activate their D once in that series. Obviously, that was their game plan, just to kind of check us to death.” Minnesota is a different team — one with offensive firepower of its own — and that’s led to a more open, fast-paced style of play. It’s given Colorado’s most-skilled players the chance to shine. Less than three minutes into the game, MacKinnon burst into the offensive zone and dropped a pass to Nečas. The Czech forward split a pair of defenders, then backhanded a puck past Gustavsson for a goal on Colorado’s first shot of the game. Later in the period, he started a tic-tac-toe goal assisted by MacKinnon and finished by Landeskog. After scoring only two points in four games against the Kings, Nečas is up to five this series. MacKinnon has six. Both played a part in getting the Colorado power play going. Colorado’s power play was a source of consternation throughout the regular season, finishing 27th in the league with a 17.1 percent success rate — almost unbelievable considering the unit’s star power. It improved slightly after the Olympic break but wasn’t able to generate much against Los Angeles. It went 1-for-11 and didn’t score against the Kings with the man advantage until Game 4. The Wild’s struggling penalty kill has proven to be an antidote. Artturi Lehkonen scored in Game 1, and Devon Toews added another goal that wasn’t technically on the power play but happened moments after the kill expired. (Colorado’s power play did have a big blunder in Game 1, allowing a shorthanded goal to Marcus Foligno shortly before Toews’ goal). Game 2 brought Colorado more success. The top unit had its beautiful tic-tac-toe goal in the first, then had another strong power play in the second that didn’t result in a goal. MacKinnon got a solid look on that power play, ringing a shot off Gustavsson, and Colorado kept the offensive zone for more than a minute. Colorado’s third power play was similar: a few good looks but no results. But the process was solid, and the Avalanche were rewarded on their fourth when MacKinnon blasted a one-timer past Gustavsson to all but put the game out of reach for Minnesota. Colorado got one final power play after a Kaprizov cross-check on Makar. The Avalanche got one dangerous look early but were mostly cautious as it went, knowing the game was in its final minutes and the team was up two. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms