Avs Make Statement in Minnesota, Crush Wild, 5-1

Makar, MacKinnon and Nelson shine. Blackwood slams the door.

They are the best team in the league. It’s pretty simple.

Sunday’s road game against the red-hot Wild was supposed to be the game of the season to this point. It might not have been the barn burner fans around the league were hoping for, but it was absolutely a statement game for the Avalanche.

That statement started with the final score: 5-1.

It continued in the shot totals: 42-29 in shots on goal, with total attempts nearing 90 for Colorado and hovering in the mid-40s for Minnesota.

It showed up on the power play: 2-for-4 for the Avs, 0-for-2 for the Wild.

And it was delivered emphatically by Cale Makar, once again demonstrating why he is the best defenseman in the world, despite another delusional fanbase insisting Quinn Hughes belongs in the same conversation.