Like, carbon copy close.
There is a similar star power component (Nathan MacKinnon for Avalanche, Kirill Kaprizov for The Wild). There are the playmaking defensemen (Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes), the reliable goaltenders (Scott Wedgewood, Jesper Wallstedt) and the veterans looking for their first Stanley Cup (Brent Burns, Nick Foligno).
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That’s why this second-round series beginning Sunday night in Denver looks so compelling. Two of the last three times the Wild and Avalanche met in the playoffs were seven games. That includes their last matchup, a 2014 first-round series, in which a Minnesota team featuring Jared Spurgeon, before his days as Wild captain, beat a Colorado team that included MacKinnon making his NHL playoff debut.
“It’s going to be another big battle,” said Marcus Foligno, whose team eliminated Avalanche foe Dallas in six games to advance. “We are mentally prepared for it.”
These two Central Division rivals are evenly matched. They went 2-1-1 against each other in the regular season, each winning one game in regulation and losing in a shootout.
“As a coach, I can guide them towards the path that I think … how difficult it will be,” said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, whose team swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. “But they have to go and feel it. They have to go and participate in it.”
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Rested vs. Tested
The Wild enter the series after a hard-hitting series with the Stars and Avalanche resting after a bye week. A high-scoring team, the Avalanche showed they can play any type of style, too, with a pair of 2-1 wins, including one in overtime, against the Kings.
The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avs don’t mind being the Cup favorites.
“It doesn’t really mean anything unless you’re the last team standing,” forward Nazem Kadri said. “We are going to have to be prepared for everything they throw at us.”
The break gave Colorado a chance to recover. Defenseman Josh Manson is dealing with an upper body injury. The Wild are also banged up, with forward Joel Eriksson Ek doubtful due to a lower-body injury. Defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) did not make the trip.
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Norris Trophy winners
Makar and Hughes are the last two winners of the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. Makar is coming off a regular season in which he scored 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 December 12. He finished with five goals and 48 assists for Minnesota in the regular season and averaged nearly 28 minutes per game on the ice. That’s up to 31:40 in the postseason. Hughes scored two goals and an assist in the series decider.
“It’s no surprise,” teammate Brock Faber said. “Great players step up in big games, and that’s what he did.”
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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 to win their first Olympic gold medal in 46 years. Wild coach John Hynes was on the coaching staff and general manager Bill Guerin helped form the team. Canada featured Avalanche defensemen Devon Toews and Makar, along with MacKinnon.
“Something we’ll 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 only made it to the second round once (2003). Their win over the Stars marked the first time they were out of the first round since 2015. Faber, who is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, was almost 12 years old at the time.
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“I don’t remember,” Faber said. “We write our own history. Every team has its own story. Every team has its own ups and downs.”
The burn effect
Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns is chasing his first Stanley Cup title at age 41 and in his 22nd NHL season. He began his career with the Wild, who selected him 20th overall in the 2003 draft. Burns played in Minnesota from 2003-04 to 2010-11.
“That was a long time ago,” Makar said with a smile.
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AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minnesota contributed to this report.
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AP NHL Playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl