Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild | Series Preview | Round 2 Stanley Cup Playoffs
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What are the expectations for the Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild series?
Already into the second round, and we got a doozy. And we knew it was going to be Colorado. We knew. Everybody knew. Let's be honest. We didn't know which of Dallas or Minnesota it would be. But a team with Ryan Hartman as their number one seed made it through. It's the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche. I think it's the matchup of the second round when we're talking about interest and talent and whatever. It seems a little bit unfair that these two teams are not meeting in the conference finals. But alas, that's the system we live in.
It's just a shame we could have called this out like Christmas.
So one of the things that I think both of these teams share, which I think is incredible, is two potential starters. And, you know, for Minnesota, it was Wallstead who was the star and he's a rookie and was unbelievable in the first round. Jesse, you said on another show that Scott Wedgwood should have had Vesna consideration.
I thought he was really disrespected by the Vesna voters. I don't know how he wasn't top three there.
So he's a bit of a late bloomer. This is what was expected of him back when, I want to say he was in the net for the Albany Devils in this just slobber knocker of an AHL playoff series between the Devils and the Marlies back in 2016. Real ones remember that one. It was really contentious, really nasty, and I think it went the full seven. And I was surprised that Wedgwood didn't really emerge.
Here he is. Wedgwood is one of the guys that you can reference has stints at all the levels of pro hockey. He was in the E, he was in the A, and he was in the NHL, obviously. And he was with the Texas Stars, played a game for them as recently as 23 season. Crazy. Dallas sent down there. This is a guy who's been through a lot of different teams and finally found his way with a 921 this year, led the league amongst qualified goaltenders, 31-6-6. A lot of that's the great team in front of him, but he did his job.
How did Minnesota's goaltending perform in the first round?
And I think he's going to continue to do it in this series.
And let me tell you, Wallstead stats through the first round, because this is crazy. This is a guy who had 171 saves on 185 shots. He had a 363 goal saved above expectations. This is Jack Jablonski who posted this. Five on five, 131 saves on 135 shots, 7.92 goal save above expectations, and a 920 in high danger save percentage, which is crazy numbers. Now, if either of those goalies falter, what's so unique about this series is both teams have another starter in waiting, Phil Gustafson and Mackenzie Blackwood. I don't know who to give the edge to in goaltending here, guys. Is this a tie? There's other parts where you're like, well, I think Colorado's got the edge here, and I think Minnesota's got the edge here, but goaltending, I don't really know.
If I had to pick a goalie to save my life, I'd probably pick either wild goalie, honestly. But I don't think the two Avs goalies are far behind. And it doesn't matter who's the better goalie. Are you the better goalie for this team? This team right now. So I would probably give the advantage to Minnesota, but it's not much of one. Wedgwood's been incredible for the Avalanche.
Jesse, what about you? I think Steve's right. Just with how Walston played against, I think, a much tougher opponent. I'm just much more impressed with Walston's first round because there was more to show there against the Dallas and a tougher team. Exactly. So, yeah, I think the lean there goes to Walston.
Okay, now on defense, the pairings are for the Avs, Taze McCarr, obviously, Burns Blankenberg, Kulak, and Malinsky. And Malinsky's come on real strong for the Avalanche. Against them, Quinn Hughes-Brock Faber, which is probably the best defense pairing in the league. Now, I know Avs fans would take issue with that. It's crazy. But then you got Middleton Spurgeon, no joke. No. And then Jeff Petrie, who's still going at it, damn it. Crazy. And Zach Bogosian, another guy that's still going at it. But I would say some people go, well, listen, Minnesota's top four is great, but you do have question marks about the bottom two guys.
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