Avalanche and Minnesota Wild Have Storied Playoff History

The 2003 series between the Wild and Avalanche will always go down as one of the more fascinating seven-game series in recent NHL history. Minnesota was a recent expansion franchise, making its playoff debut against an Avalanche squad loaded with Hall of Famers. Colorado had only been around for seven years following a relocation from Quebec City.

From 1996 to 2002, the Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference Final six times, with the only missed opportunity ending in a first-round upset loss to the Edmonton Oilers in 1998. Colorado led the series 3-1 before dropping three straight games.

The Wild gave the Avs that very same fate.

Minnesota upset the Avalanche in Game 1, before Colorado won three straight games to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, with the series shifting back to Denver. The Wild won Game 5 by a final score of 3-2. At home, they once again won 3-2, this time in overtime. And in Game 7, they got the overtime game winner from Andrew Brunette to win 3-2 yet again.

The series ended Roy’s career as arguably the best goaltender in NHL history. It was also basically the unofficial end of the first Avalanche Stanley Cup window. Sakic, Forsberg, and Foote all failed to reach the Western Conference Final in what remained of their NHL careers.

2008 — No. 6 Avalanche Defeat No. 3 Wild in Six Games

The 2008 Avalanche was the last hurrah for the core that started to break apart shortly after the 2004-05 lockout. Colorado brought back Forsberg, who had departed for Philadelphia in 2005 and played nearly three seasons with the Flyers before a brief stint in Nashville.

Foote also left the Avs in 2005, signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he served as team captain. After Forsberg’s return, Colorado traded a first-round draft pick for Foote to reunite the big three from their first era of contender status.

The first three games all went to overtime, and all ended with identical 3-2 scores. Colorado took Game 1 but the Wild took each of the next two. But that was all they could get on the Avs.

Colorado won Games 4, 5, and 6, all in regulation, to advance to the second round.

2014 — Wild Stun Avalanche in Game 7 Overtime

As for the latest meeting between the two clubs, the 2013-14 Avalanche was the first glimpse of playoff action for a 21-year-old Gabe Landeskog and an 18-year-old rookie in MacKinnon.

The Avalanche, under Roy’s tutelage as head coach, finished third in the NHL and second in the Western Conference with an impressive 114 points. It was the first season under the current NHL playoff format, which meant that as the Central Division’s No. 1 seed, the Avs matched up against the first wildcard team.

MacKinnon scored two goals and had 10 points in seven games, while Landeskog pitched in with three goals and an assist. The Avs won Games 1, 2, and 5 at home, but lost Games 3, 4, and 6 on the road.

In the deciding Game 7, Colorado led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3. The Wild responded each time. They tallied the game-tying goal late in regulation and defeated the Avs 5-4 in OT to eliminate the young upstart squad. This serves as the final playoff series the franchise has ever appeared in before head coach Jared Bednar took over.

The Avs missed the playoffs in each of the next three seasons before starting an active playoff streak in 2018.

The upcoming series, which is likely to begin either Sunday or Monday, will be the first between the two franchises with Bednar at the helm. And it’s the first time they’ll meet in 12 years.

It’ll be interesting to see what the 2026 series will add to this playoff rivalry.

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