Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon (29) passes the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
By PAT GRAHAM
DENVER — In many ways, Colorado and Minnesota mirror each other.
Like, carbon-copy close.
There’s the similar star power component ( Nathan MacKinnon for the Avalanche, Kirill Kaprizov for the Wild). There’s the playmaking defensemen (Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes ), the dependable goalies ( Scott Wedgewood, Jesper Wallstedt) and the veterans searching for their first Stanley Cup (Brent Burns, Nick Foligno ).
It’s why this second-round series that starts Sunday night in Denver seems so compelling. Two of the last three times the Wild and Avalanche have met in the playoffs it’s gone seven games. That includes their last matchup, a 2014 first-round series, in which a Minnesota team with Jared Spurgeon — before his days as Wild captain — beat a Colorado squad that featured MacKinnon making his NHL playoff debut.
“It’s going to be another big battle,” said Marcus Foligno, whose team eliminated Dallas, the nemesis of the Avalanche, in six games to advance. “We’re mentally ready for it.”
These two Central Division rivals are evenly matched. They went 2-1-1 against the other in the regular season, with each winning a game in regulation and losing in a shootout.
“As the coach, I can steer them which way I think … how hard it’s going to go,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, whose squad swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. “But they’ve got to go and feel it. They have to go and engage in it.”
Rested against tested
The Wild enter the series after a bruising series with the Stars and the Avalanche are rested after a week off. The high-scoring Avalanche proved they could play any sort of style, too, with a pair of 2-1 wins — including one in OT — against the Kings.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avs don’t mind being the Cup favorites.
“It doesn’t really mean nothing unless you’re the last team standing,” forward Nazem Kadri said. “We’re going to have to be ready for everything they throw at us.”
The break gave Colorado a chance to heal up. Defenseman Josh Manson is dealing with an upper-body injury. The Wild are banged up, too, with forward Joel Eriksson Ek questionable because of a lower-body injury. Defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) didn’t make the trip.
Norris Trophy winners
Makar and Hughes are the last two winners of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. Makar is coming off a regular season in which he had 20 goals and 59 assists. He has scored goals in each of the last two playoff games.
Hughes was acquired as part of a deal with Vancouver on Dec. 12. He finished with five goals and 48 assists with Minnesota in the regular season while averaging nearly 28 minutes a games on the ice. That’s up to 31:40 in the postseason. Hughes had two goals and an assist in the series clincher.
“It’s no surprise,” teammate Brock Faber said. “Big-time players step up in big-time games, and that is what he did.”
Golden moment
For Team USA, this is almost a reunion. Brock Nelson, Hughes, Faber and Matt Boldy helped the Americans to a 2-1 overtime win over Canada for their first Olympic gold medal in 46 years. Wild coach John Hynes was on the coaching staff and general manager Bill Guerin helped assemble the team. Canada featured Avalanche defensemen Devon Toews and Makar, along with MacKinnon.
“Something we will remember forever,” Nelson said. “But now put friendships on pause.”
Flashback to 2015
The Wild are 5-14 in their 25-year history in playoff series. They’ve made it past the second round only once (2003). Their win over the Stars marked the first time they’ve been out of the first round since 2015. Faber, who is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, was nearly 12 at the time.
“I don’t remember it,” Faber said. “We write our own story. Every team has their own story. Every team has their own ups and downs.”
The Burns effect
Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns is chasing his first Stanley Cup title at 41 years old and in his 22nd NHL season. He began his career with the Wild, who made him the 20th pick of the 2003 draft. Burns played in Minnesota from 2003-04 to ’10-11.
“That’s a long time ago,” Makar said with a smile.
*Associated Press
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