The Colorado Avalanche won this series against the Minnesota Wild during training camp.
With the scars of past playoff failures still fresh, the Avs assembled in September with a determination and focus to achieve specific goals: Win the Central Division. Win the Western Conference. Win the Stanley Cup.
The Avs were done with “just get in,” in part because of how loaded the Central has been in recent years.
“I think itap just our striving for excellence all season, from the first day of camp,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “We’ve had some new faces, but I think losing the way we did last season, I’ve mentioned it, can kind of bring your team a little closer. We still needed a little help and got some great players throughout the season. I think itap more just you’re building it all season, for 8-9 months.”
The result was a historic 31-2-7 start, and first place in the NHL for the final five months of the season.
The reward was an inferior opponent in the first round, while these Wild waged war with the third-best team in the league, the Dallas Stars. Colorado faced that problem in the first round last year, but fell just short.
Minnesota prevailed, but at a tangible, dear cost.
While the Avs cruised to a four-game sweep, the Wild lost critical shutdown defenseman Jonas Brodin in Game 5 against the Stars, then No. 1 center Joel Eriksson Ek.
Neither played a minute in this series. In some ways, this series was over before it started.
“They deserved to win this series, plain and simple,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. “That’s just where it just gets frustrating, right? Because when we are at our absolute best, I think we can beat this team.”
Key additions at NHL trade deadline
The Avalanche won this series at the trade deadline.
Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland had the best team in the NHL for months, but he won the deadline, adding shutdown defenseman Brett Kulak, versatile forward Nicolas Roy and brought back 2022 Stanley Cup hero Nazem Kadri. Dallas and Minnesota, who were chasing Colorado all season, did not match MacFarland’s moves.
The Stars added defenseman Tyler Myers and forward Michael Bunting. The Wild added forwards Michael McCarron and Bobby Brink. Myers hurt more than he helped, and the Wild took advantage. Bunting and Brink were relative non-factors — Brink was removed from the lineup in the Dallas series and didn’t play against Colorado.
When the Stars did not have top center Roope Hintz available, their lack of depth hurt them. When Minnesota was short in this series, the Avs’ increased depth devoured the Wild.
Colorado has two overtime goals in this postseason, both from deadline additions Roy and Kulak. Kadri has helped the power play awake from a season-long slumber. Roy has been immense in these playoffs.
When the Avs lost two key players after Game 3, Artturi Lehkonen and Sam Malinski, they didn’t miss a beat. When Cale Makar was clearly laboring in the final couple of games of this series, Kulak and Brent Burns were outstanding.
“Huge,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of Kulak and Burns. “I mean, you can’t understate that. You’re without (Josh) Manson early. (Manson) comes back, you’re without (Sam) Malinski. You’ve got Cale fighting through stuff. I mean, there’s only six (defensemen), right? And guys need to step up.”
Not over until it’s over
The Avalanche won this series when the score was 3-0.
Minnesota had never lost a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when it led by three goals. MacKinnon started telling teammates on the bench that more than 40 minutes was a long time to hold a lead against this Avalanche team.
Then the Avs took control of this contest. Minnesota tried to park the bus, either consciously or not.
Colorado trailed at the second intermission 23 times this season. The Avs won five of those games, but also got six to overtime. That’s 11 comebacks, or nearly 50% of the time.
The belief mattered. Having the ability to dictate matchups on home ice mattered. Minnesota’s top players exerted more energy in this postseason when Games 4 and 5 were on the line.
It’s a popular narrative in the NHL that the regular season does not matter. For the teams at the top of the Central Division — which were first, second and third in the NHL standings for a chunk of this season — it ended up mattering a great deal.
“Obviously, getting home ice is huge,” MacKinnon said. “We haven’t had that in a long time, so itap good for us. I think Game 5s at home are awesome. I think (Bednar) has done a great job from camp stressing culture and defensive hockey and he’s not worried about our offense.
“Yeah, I think itap just a build up from the whole season.”
