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The Minnesota Wild won their first playoff series since 2015 when they ousted the Dallas Stars in Round 1.

Now, they’ve found themselves down 0-2 in Round 2 against the Avalanche very quickly. While everyone wants to point to goaltending, an equal concern in their powerplay. In the last almost 30 powerplay opportunities, the Wild have only come away with a goal once. Over the last 10 games, their powerplay is only hitting at 13.9%.

The powerplay isn’t the only issue. The Minnesota Wild have been without Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin in all of Round 2 so far.

Brodin has been the most obvious absence, as Minnesota has allowed 14 goals through 2 games against Colorado.

Minnesota Wild Receive Jonas Brodin Message Amid Injury Issues

Eric Forga of Hockey Wilderness detailed why the Wild are missing Jonas Brodin so badly.

“Jonas Brodin being out mattered because he’s one of Minnesota’s most reliable all-around defenders, especially on the second pair with Jared Spurgeon and on the penalty kill. Without him, the Wild had to shuffle their blue line and lean on less experienced replacements. That made it harder to slow Colorado’s rush game and protect the middle of the ice. 

Brodin’s value is not just in the minutes he plays, but in the matchups he handles. When he’s healthy, the Wild can deploy a steadier defensive identity against top scorers; without him, Colorado found more room to attack from the slot, push transitions, and keep Minnesota defending tired shifts. That’s the kind of absence that can change a series, not just a single game.”

The Minnesota Wild are currently hopeful that both Brodin and Eriksson Ek can return on Saturday for Game 3.

Filip Gustavsson Struggles in Game 2 Against Colorado

Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals ended in a 5-2 loss for the Minnesota Wild. While they didn’t allow nearly as many goals, it still somehow seemed they got dominated even more than when they allowed 9 total goals.

Gustavsson only allowed 4 in net, half of what Wallstedt allowed in Game 1. Only 2 of those came at even strength, though they both could be argued to be routine saves. The other 2 goals came while Colorado was on their deadly man-advantage, and their 5th goal was on an empty net with less than 10 seconds left.

The groans of Minnesota Wild fans across the globe could be heard when Colorado scored a goal on their very first shot. At that very moment, Wild fans felt that their team might’ve made a mistake with the goalie change.

Although he let in 2 soft goals, Gustavsson played relatively well down the stretch. Although, to be fair, Minnesota only allowed 18 total shots on net. When Wallstedt allowed 8 goals in net, Colorado shot a total of 42 times. Still, Gustavsson barely topped Wallstedt’s .810 SV% with a .818 SV%.

Now, John Hynes faces another tough decision; who goes in net for Game 3?