The Avs and Wild combined for 15 goals in Game 1, with Colorado scoring 4 times in the third to put it away 9-6 at Ball Arena. It was the kind of opener that flatters Colorado and terrifies Minnesota — exactly the run-and-gun shape the Wild are supposed to drag the Avs out of, not skate into.
The problem is the guys who do the dragging aren't here. Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin are both out for at least the first two games — your shutdown center and your top pair shutdown defenseman, the spine of every defensive matchup John Hynes wants to throw at Nathan MacKinnon's line. Game 1 looked exactly like you'd expect without them: defensive breakdowns, odd-man rushes, and Cale Makar (back from a Marcus Foligno hit) pouring in 2 goals in the third.
- OutZach Bogosian D — out
- OutJoel Eriksson Ek C — Eriksson Ek (lower body) will miss the first two games of Minnesota's second-round series against Colorado, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic on Sunday.
- OutJonas Brodin D — Brodin (lower body) will miss at least the beginning of Minnesota's second-round series against Colorado, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports Saturday.
- OutCharlie Stramel C — Stramel signed a three-year, entry-level contract extension with the Wild on Monday.
- OutJosh Manson D — Manson (upper body) won't play against Minnesota on Tuesday in Game 2, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.
- OutJoel Kiviranta LW — Kiviranta (undisclosed) hasn't resumed skating yet, according to Bailey Curtis of DNVR Sports on Sunday.
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 of the 43 he saw, which is more a comment on the volume than the goalie. Minnesota actually clawed a 3-goal hole back to even in this one — Hartman, Zuccarello, Johansson, Tarasenko and Foligno all found the net — before the wheels came off late. The offense isn't the issue. The issue is needing 6 to win when the other team has Makar and MacKinnon.
The market sees it the same way. Colorado is a heavy home favorite riding 5 straight wins, the puck-line is shaded toward the Avs covering, and the total is sitting at 6.5 after a 15-goal opener — books basically daring you to take the under in a series that just produced one of the highest-scoring playoff games ever.
Path for Minnesota is the same as it was 48 hours ago, just with less margin: get a Wallstedt save total under 35, stay out of the box against Makar and Devon Toews on the power play, and don't try to win 7-6. If they can't tighten this up before they get home for Game 3, this series ends fast.