Avalanche Chasing Rare NHL History in St. Paul

Key Takeaways

- Colorado can become the second team ever to start a postseason 7-0 in the same year, joining Carolina at 7-0 - Nathan MacKinnon has three consecutive three-point games, tying Joe Sakic's 1997 franchise record - Jesper Wallstedt gets the net back after surrendering eight goals in Game 1 - Minnesota's penalty kill is the worst for a second-round team since the NHL started tracking the stat in 1978

Colorado has a real shot at making NHL playoff history Saturday night.

The Avalanche are already 6-0 this postseason after sweeping the Kings in Round 1. A win in St. Paul puts them at 7-0, which would make them the second team to hit that mark in the same year as Carolina.

That's never happened before in the NHL.

If that happens, the Wild face an 0-3 hole.

And here's the uncomfortable truth: 212 of 216 teams in NHL history who went up 3-0 ended up winning the series. That's 98%. You're not really "down 2-1" at that point. You're basically on life support.

So yeah, Saturday night matters.

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MacKinnon Is Doing Something Special Right Now

Nathan MacKinnon has four goals and six assists through six playoff games.

That's 10 points. More importantly, he's got three straight three-point nights, which ties Joe Sakic's franchise record from 1997.

Let that sink in. Sakic's Avalanche record. MacKinnon is tying it in the second round.

He's also the betting favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy at +475, and it's not close. If Colorado keeps rolling, MacKinnon is the reason.

He's fast, he's creating chaos every shift. And he looks like a guy who knows this might be his window.

The Wild have no answer for him right now. That's not disrespect to Minnesota.

It's just fact.

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Wallstedt Gets One More Shot

Jesper Wallstedt allowed eight goals on 42 shots in Game 1.

That's brutal. The kid is 23, in his first playoff run, and he just got handed the hardest possible introduction.

But the Wild put him back in net for Game 3. And honestly, what else can they do? They need him to steal one.

Plain and simple.

His playoff line isn't terrible on paper: 4-3 with a 2.81 GAA and a .903 save percentage.

But paper doesn't capture the chaos he's faced. Colorado's offense is humming in a way this franchise hasn't seen in years. And Wallstedt is standing in the middle of it.

If he folds again, this series is over before it gets back to Denver. If he stands tall? Maybe the Wild steal one at home and buy themselves a flight back to Colorado with a pulse.

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Minnesota's Penalty Kill Is a Problem

Here's a number that should terrify Wild fans: 59.4%.

That's Minnesota's penalty kill percentage this postseason.

Sportsnet's data shows it's the worst mark for any second-round team since the NHL started tracking the stat in 1978.

This matters because Colorado's power play doesn't need many chances. It needs one. The Avalanche are getting goals from everywhere. They've had 12 different goal scorers through just two games, which is an NHL first for the start of a playoff series. Twelve separate guys. You can't just key on one line.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin are both still out.

Both are key shutdown players. Without them, Minnesota's PK is already short-handed before it even takes a penalty.

The Avalanche scored 14 goals in Games 1 and 2. That's the most by any team in the first two games of a playoff series since Calgary had 15 against Los Angeles in 1988. This offense isn't slowing down.

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Can the Wild Actually Come Back?

Minnesota knows how to climb out of holes. The Wild erased two 3-1 deficits in the 2003 playoffs, becoming the first NHL team to do that in a single postseason. Last year, both Florida and Edmonton rallied from 0-2 by winning Game 3 at home.

Minnesota itself came back from down 0-2 against Dallas earlier these playoffs.

But 0-3 is a other beast. Only four teams in NHL history have ever done it. The last was the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

Carolina became the 13th team in NHL history to start a postseason 7-0.

Eight of the previous 12 teams that hit that mark went on to win the Stanley Cup. If Colorado joins them Saturday, the math gets ugly fast.

The Wild need to win tonight.

Not "probably." Not "hopefully." They need to win.

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What to Watch Saturday

It's simple: does Wallstedt look like a guy who belongs, or does Colorado's offense keep rolling?

If Minnesota can steal one, this series shifts. The Wild go back to Denver down 2-1 with some life, some noise, some reason to believe. The crowd in St. Paul is buzzing. They haven't hosted a second-round game since May 5, 2015. That place is ready.

Lose, and the series is basically over. The Avalanche head home up 3-0. And you're looking at the end of Minnesota's best playoff run in over a decade.

Wallstedt in net. MacKinnon on the hunt. One game.

Don't sleep on this one.

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