That doesn’t make wins over the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks any less significant. In a condensed 56-game season, points are at a premium regardless of how they are attained, and the Wild are sitting pretty right now, tied for second place in the West Coast division.
Still, it’s difficult to effectively judge if the Wild are legit. Sure, there’s a chance the Kings, Ducks and Sharks will flirt the playoffs this season. None of them are Stanley Cup contenders, though, and that matters in the evaluation process.
In other words, the Wild haven’t really been tested yet.
That changes this weekend with a two-game series against the rival Colorado Avalanche on Saturday and Sunday at Xcel Energy Center, followed by two more games at Colorado next Tuesday and Thursday. It will play out like a four-game playoff series against one of the very best teams in the league. Many experts see the Avalanche as the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup, led by star center Nathan MacKinnon, plus depth up and down the lineup.
“We always have tough games against them, and it’s always chippy and gritty,” Wild winger Marcus Foligno said. “We’re going to be excited to play them. Everyone is going to be up for those games. Just looking forward to having some success against that team.”
That won’t be easy considering the Avalanche (5-3-0) seem to be finding their groove of late. They are fresh off a couple of dominant wins over the Sharks, putting up a combined 10 goals in those games.
“I think everyone in the league knows they have a pretty high-octane offense,” defenseman Matt Dumba said. “It will be a good matchup for us and a really big test to see where we sit in this division. We’re gearing up, and we’ll be ready for it.”
It might help that the Wild have defenseman Ian Cole on the current roster. He came to Minnesota in a trade earlier this month after spending the past couple of seasons with the Avalanche. Not that he really has any trade secrets on how to defend them.
“They’re a great hockey team,” Cole said. “They’re loaded, from (MacKinnon) all the way down to backup goaltender in Pavel Francouz. They’re a great hockey team with tons of depth, tons of speed, tons of skill. It’s going to be a challenge for us. They score a ton of goals, and we’re going to have to defend like our lives depend on it.”
While most Wild players are looking at their two series against the Avalanche as a measuring-stick game, coach Dean Evason tried to downplay that narrative. He simply wants the Wild to focus on doing the right thing themselves.
“They’re a great team,” Evason said. “Obviously, we know that. We’ll get prepared for them and see what happens.”
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January 30, 2021 at 05:00AM
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Wild prepare for biggest test yet: four games vs. rival Avalanche - Grand Forks Herald
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