Series Gets Off to a Wild Start

The Minnesota Wild played up the underdog role all week, talking about how the playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche was a mismatch.

Coach Jacques Lemaire even joked that his players might have to untie Colorado’s skates just to have a chance.

The ploy worked.

Dwayne Roloson stopped 39 shots and Minnesota scored three goals in 4 minutes 22 seconds in the second period as the Wild beat the Avalanche, 4-2, Thursday night at Denver in the first game of their Western Conference playoff series.

“It is huge. There is no doubt,” Lemaire said. “Before the series we felt it would be nice to get one game, it would be nice just to get the feel of winning in the playoffs.”

Minnesota, in its third season, is making its first playoff appearance. Colorado had won two Stanley Cup titles in seven years and a record nine straight division championships.

The mismatch on paper carried over into the game, with Colorado peppering Roloson with 11 shots in the first 6 1/2 minutes and outshooting Minnesota, 18-3.

The Wild somehow survived the period with a scoreless tie, then stunned the Avalanche with three goals in the second.

Filip Kuba scored the Wild’s first postseason goal 5:33 into the period, one-timing a pass from Andrew Brunette on a power play. Marian Gaborik made it 2-0, on another power play, 3:55 later, knocking a rebound between Patrick Roy’s legs and off his right skate.

The Wild barely had time to celebrate before Wes Walz lifted a shot over Roy only 25 seconds later. Walz scored from just outside the crease after Pascal Dupuis whiffed on a wraparound.

Minnesota led, 3-1, after the second period and improved to 31-0-1 this season when leading after two periods.

Washington 3, Tampa Bay 0 -- Robert Lang scored two goals and Olaf Kolzig made 28 saves to help the Capitals win at Tampa, Fla. and ruin Tampa Bay’s return to the postseason after a seven-year absence from the Eastern Conference playoffs. Kolzig recorded his sixth career playoff shutout, stopping 10 shots to cling to a 1-0 lead early in the second period.

St. Louis 6, Vancouver 0 -- Cory Stillman and Tyson Nash scored in the opening two minutes and Chris Osgood made 20 saves to help the Blues stun the Canucks at Vancouver, British Columbia, in the opener of their Western Conference first-round series. Alexander Khavanov scored twice for the Blues.