The Minnesota Wild announced on May 3 that the team will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking its first appearance at this stage since 2015. The matchup follows Minnesota’s six-game victory over the Dallas Stars in the First Round and will be their fourth postseason meeting with Colorado.
This series holds significance as both teams have a history of competitive playoff encounters, with Minnesota winning two out of three previous meetings (2003 and 2014). During this regular season, Minnesota recorded a 2-1-1 record against Colorado. Kirill Kaprizov led his team with six points in those games, while Jesper Wallstedt is expected to start in goal after posting a .932 save percentage across three starts versus Colorado.
Injuries are impacting Minnesota’s lineup ahead of Game 1. Defenseman Jonas Brodin is sidelined with a lower-body injury and will miss at least Games 1 and 2. Top center Joel Eriksson Ek is also out for at least two games due to a lower-body injury; he leads all Stanley Cup Playoff skaters with 84 face-off wins and has contributed five points so far.
The series brings up questions about rest versus rust. While Colorado swept their previous opponent and has not played since April 26, Minnesota enters the series after only two days off between rounds. “It’s the situation we’re in,” said Wild Head Coach John Hynes this morning. “I think it’s both ways. For us, we’ve had a couple of days here to rest and recover but you’re in that game mode. You don’t really get out of it.”
Minnesota aims to secure at least one win on the road before returning home for an extended break between Games 2 and 3. The team won two road games against Dallas last round, including Game 1. Hynes said he is “hopeful” Eriksson Ek could return for Game 3 but emphasized that until then, “it will have to adapt the ‘next man up’ mentality it has taken on all season long.”
