Colorado Avalanche ramp up physicality to push Minnesota Wild to brink
The Colorado Avalanche have moved within one win of the Western Conference finals after a tactical shift inspired a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4.
Head coach Jared Bednar adjusted his defensive pairings and forward lines to great effect in St. Paul.
The tactical tweak resulted in the 2022 Stanley Cup champions recording 32 hits, their highest physical output of this postseason.
Bednar’s side are traditionally known for their elite speed and skill rather than aggressive checking.
Playoff hockey demands intensity
The Denver-based outfit finished 31st in the NHL for hits during the regular season, averaging just 15.4 per game.
However, they have historically doubled that physical output when the postseason begins.
“The biggest change from regular-season hockey and playoff hockey is the buy-in and the commitment to defend from every team,” Bednar explained.
“There’s less room, there’s less space. If you want to check the puck back, you gotta be physical.”
Controlling the puck
No franchise has won more regular-season games or scored more goals than Colorado since their championship-winning 2021-22 campaign.
Their puck possession numbers consistently rank among the league’s best during five-on-five play.
Club captain Gabriel Landeskog believes the sudden spike in aggression is simply a necessity of knockout hockey.
“I think it’s just what the time of year calls for, really,” the Swedish forward noted.
Colorado will now look to close out the second-round series when they host Game 5 in Denver on Wednesday.