DENVER – A tight game was expected. Yet, few could have anticipated a matchup between two of the NHL’s top defensive teams would culminate in a staggering 15 goals. Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar succinctly summarized the night’s events, stating, “If you scripted that one, I don’t know how you do. I can’t explain it.”
In a thrilling Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, the Avalanche triumphed over the Minnesota Wild in a wild 9-6 contest. Cale Makar, who had briefly left the game due to an undisclosed injury, scored twice in the third period, helping Colorado recover from a three-goal lead that had slipped away.
Makar’s second goal, which came with just 2:54 remaining in the game, pushed the score to 8-6, and Nathan MacKinnon sealed the victory with an empty-netter shortly thereafter.
This encounter marked only the 10th playoff game in history to feature at least 15 combined goals, and the first since 1994. Remarkably, there were five goals scored in each period, a rarity that left both players and coaches scratching their heads.
“Just a weird game,” Makar reflected afterward. “I don’t think we’re going to see that again. It’s probably a one-off, but glad we were able to stick with it and find a way to win.”
The Avalanche, known for their tight defensive play, showcased an unexpected offensive explosion. A total of 14 different players found the back of the net, making it one of the highest-scoring playoff games on record.
“It’s nice to be able to win games like this,” said Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. “Not necessarily a coach’s dream or a player’s dream — we don’t want to give up six goals. It’s good to win this one but we’ve got lots of things to clean up.”
With this win, the Avalanche improved their playoff record to an impressive 72-1 when leading by three or more goals since moving to Colorado in the 1995-96 season. The only exception was a Game 5 loss against St. Louis in a season that ultimately ended with them lifting the Stanley Cup.
The game began with a bang as the Avalanche raced to a 3-0 lead in just over six minutes. However, the Wild showcased their resilience, eventually taking a 5-4 lead thanks to a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno late in the second period.
Devon Toews managed to even the score at five in the second, marking just the fourth Game 1 in playoff history where both teams scored five or more goals through two periods.
“Listen, the game was helter-skelter,” Wild coach John Hynes remarked after the loss. “We lost the game. There are certain areas we’ve got to clean up and be ready to clean up. If you lose a game, you’ve got to take the lessons out of it, move on.”
Both goaltenders faced a barrage of shots, with Scott Wedgewood, who had the league’s best goals-against average this season, conceding more goals in this game than he did in the entire Round 1 sweep against the Los Angeles Kings. Wedgewood finished with 30 saves, while Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 34 shots.
“He’s great. He’s going to bounce back,” said Foligno, showing faith in Wallstedt. “He’ll be fine next game. He’s a beast. This wasn’t on him. I mean, there’s a lot of things, but we got to play a little bit faster for him.”
Looking ahead, Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Denver. The Wild will be without key players Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin, both ruled out for the next game.
Makar’s return was a relief for the Avalanche after a concerning hit from Foligno early in the first period. Despite the scary moment, he managed to return and contribute significantly, even assisting on Nick Blankenburg’s goal.
“I was just trying to get back and feel good,” Makar noted about his recovery. “It’s not fun when you kind of tweak something, but it happens. Got to be ready for it. Had to check a couple things out, make sure it was good to go.”
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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
