The Colorado Avalanche finally know their opponent in the second-round of the NHL playoffs.
It’ll be the Wild.
Minnesota beat Dallas 5-2 on Thursday night to close out their Round 1 series, taking it four games to two. The Stars, the team that took out the Avs each of the last two postseasons, are officially done.
This will be the fourth time in their history the Avalanche and Wild have met in the playoffs with history favoring Minnesota. The Wild beat Colorado in 2003 and 2014 in seven games. The Avs topped Minnesota in six games in 2008. All three were first-round series.
Of course both those Game 7 losses were in overtime and absolute heartbreakers. The goal in 2003 by the Wild’s Andrew Brunette ended the career of legendary goaltender Patrick Roy. And the one in 2014 sent Nathan MacKinnon’s rookie year to a crashing halt.
Each of those games were in Denver at what was then called Pepsi Center. The Avalanche still play in the same building which is now Ball Arena.
But those were both a long time ago, with only MacKinnon and Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog on the ’14 squad.
This year the Avs and Wild split their regular season matchups with each team winning twice. Two of the four matchups went all the way to a shootout.
Colorado finished first in the NHL, Western Conference and Central Division with 121 points. Minnesota registered 104 points, pulling a slight upset over the Stars. They were the No. 3 team in the West, but because of the NHL’s (crazy) playoff format, this is now the Round 2 showdown.
Whoever emerges will head to the Western Conference Final, one series away from playing for the Stanley Cup. The loser will go home, a bitter end to a year with championship aspirations.
No schedule for the second-round series was immediately available, although most folks think it will begin either Sunday or Monday. The Nuggets are scheduled to play Game 7 on Saturday against the Timberwolves at Ball Arena should it be necessary.
Regardless, the Avalanche haven’t played since last Sunday, sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first-round. They’ll be rested while the Wild come off a tough battle against the Stars.
Strap in, this is about to get really fun.
