Overview
- The series opens with Colorado favored for Game 1 and to advance, with FanDuel listing the Avs at -205 for the opener and -245 for the series.
- Colorado swept the Kings in Round 1, and Minnesota beat Dallas in six for its first playoff series win since 2015.
- Jesper Wallstedt led the Wild past the Stars with a .973 save percentage at five-on-five, outdueling Jake Oettinger.
- Special teams could be a swing factor because Colorado’s power play converted 17.1% in the regular season and just 9.1% against Los Angeles.
- The blue-line spotlight features recent Norris winners Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes, and Minnesota will start the series without defenseman Jared Spurgeon.