Avalanche-Wild matchups

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 07:00 p.m., April 8, 2008
Updated 01:53 a.m., April 9, 2008

Michael Martin / Nhli Via Getty Images

Niklas Backstrom

Joe Mahoney/The Rocky

Colorado is wear his family wants to be, defenseman Adam Foote said of his decision to stay with the Avalanche.

Paul Stastny

There's not much the Avalanche doesn't know about the Wild and vice versa. That's why a close first-round series is anticipated between the Northwest Division rivals.

The teams played eight times during the regular season, with Minnesota earning five wins and 11 points. Four of the games were decided by one goal.

Minnesota and Colorado played twice in the final three games of the regular season, so if the first-round series goes seven games, the teams would play each other in nine of 10 games.

"We've seen them a lot and they've seen us a lot," Avalanche captain Joe Sakic said. "We've played some real close games and we're excited to get a chance to face them in a seven-game series."

Here's a look at how the teams match up.

Goaltending

* Avalanche: Jose Theodore has played like the league MVP he was in 2001-02. He was a valuable asset in helping the Avalanche return to the playoffs and is a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. Peter Budaj gives the Avalanche a capable backup.

* Wild: Niklas Backstrom has been solid as shown by his franchise- record 33 wins. He has won seven of his past eight decisions with a 1.61 goals-against average. He is 4-1 against the Avalanche this season and 7-1-1 in his career.

* Who has the edge? Wild. Theodore is playing well but Backstrom, aided by Minnesota's defensive philosophy, has been tough for the Avalanche to beat.

Defense

* Avalanche: The additions of Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei solidified the defense, and John-Michael Liles has played well since the trading deadline. Scott Hannan, Kurt Sauer, Jeff Finger, Jordan Leopold and Kyle Cumiskey round out a solid and deep blue-line corps.

* Wild: Brent Burns has learned to play defense the Lemaire way and might be the best defenseman in the series. But Minnesota lacks blue-line depth, especially with Nick Schultz, a solid, consistent player, sidelined because of an appendectomy.

* Who's got the edge? Wild. Colorado has won with a defensive mind-set the second half of this season, but Minnesota has perfected team defense and can overcome the loss of Schultz.

Offense

* Avalanche: A healthy Peter Forsberg gives the coaching staff options to form three solid lines. Joe Sakic, one of the NHL's best clutch players, Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk, Andrew Brunette, Ryan Smyth and Forsberg are offensive threats.

* Wild: Minnesota is a much-improved scoring team led by Marian Gaborik, who collected a franchise-record 42 goals and 83 points. Brian Rolston, Pavol Demitra and Mikko Koivu can be menacing to defenses.

* Who has the edge? Avalanche. Colorado has more offensive heavyweights, and if the power play gets back on track, the Wild could have its hands full.

Special teams

Avalanche: One of the mysteries has been the failure to produce on the power play. The Avalanche finished 28th out of 30 teams on the power play during the regular season at 14.6 percent. The penalty kill was adequate at 81.4 percent.

Wild: Minnesota's power play improved as the season progressed and the Wild wound up seventh in the league at 18.9 percent. The penalty kill was the NHL's fourth best at 85.2 percent. The Wild allowed seven power-play goals in eight games against Colorado this season.

Who has the edge? Wild. Colorado is better five-on-five but special teams plays an even bigger role in the playoffs. Regular-season statistics give Minnesota the edge.

Coaching

Avalanche: Joel Quenneville and assistants Tony Granato and Jacques Cloutier have done wonders keeping the team competitive considering the team's myriad injuries. Now, they must keep the team competitive in the playoffs.

Wild: Jacques Lemaire won eight Stanley Cups with Montreal as a player and is the 12th NHL coach to record 500 victories. The two-time Jack Adams Award winner employs a trapping defensive system that has proven very successful.

Who has the edge? Wild. Lemaire knows what it takes to win in the playoffs and has tasted success as a player and coach.

Intangibles

Avalanche: Staying healthy, improved production on the power play and getting a road win will be key. The Avalanche recorded 27 wins at home, including nine of the past 10 games at the Pepsi Center, but it is winless in St. Paul this season.

Wild: Lemaire's tightfisted defensive style is frustrating to play against and the Wild is hard to beat at the Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota has won its past six home games, allowing only five goals in those contests.

Who has the edge? Avalanche. Colorado has shown character to win when it needed to in grim situations and that shouldn't change in the playoffs.