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Jakub Dobes G | MON
Canadiens' Jakub Dobes: Carries Habs into second round
Dobes made 28 saves on 29 shots in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Lightning in Game 7.
It was another stellar performance from the 24-year-old, who became the third rookie goalie in Montreal's storied history to win a Game 7 on the road, after Hall of Famers Jacques Plante in 1955 and Ken Dryden in 1971. Dobes will roll into a second-round matchup against the Sabres sporting a 2.03 GAA and .923 save percentage over seven playoff games. Game 1 against the Sabres is scheduled for Wednesday in Buffalo.
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Danila Yurov RW | MIN
Wild's Danila Yurov: Picks up first playoff point
Yurov logged an assist and went plus-2 in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Yurov was scratched for the last two games of the first round versus the Stars after going scoreless in his first four NHL playoff games. The 22-year-old rookie got the chance to play as a fill-in for Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), who will also miss at least Game 2 of this series. Yurov put together a decent rookie year with 27 points, 80 shots on net, 62 hits, 43 blocked shots and 28 PIM over 73 regular-season outings, giving him the skills to handle important minutes in the postseason. He had a total of 11 points across 61 playoff contests in the KHL prior to making the move to North America.
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Marcus Foligno LW | MIN
Wild's Marcus Foligno: Nets shortie in Game 1 loss
Foligno scored a shorthanded goal on three shots and added three hits in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Foligno's goal at 16:55 of the second period put the Wild ahead 5-4, though the advantage lasted all of 1:09 before Devon Toews tied the score again. Through seven playoff outings, Foligno has two goals, one assist, 36 hits, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating. The 34-year-old is seeing steady bottom-six minutes, and his physical playing style should be enough to keep him in the lineup throughout the postseason.
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Vladimir Tarasenko RW | MIN
Wild's Vladimir Tarasenko: Scores in Sunday's loss
Tarasenko scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Tarasenko started a comeback push in the second period, which ultimately saw the Wild briefly take a lead later in the frame. The 34-year-old has started to find his touch this postseason with two goals and an assist over his last three games. He's added 12 shots on net, eight hits and a plus-1 rating across seven playoff outings, playing mainly in a middle-six role.
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Marcus Johansson LW | MIN
Wild's Marcus Johansson: Finds twine in Game 1 loss
Johansson scored a goal in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Johansson has been fairly quiet so far in the postseason, picking up two goals over seven games. He's added 12 shots on net, 18 hits and a plus-1 rating. The 35-year-old is still playing on the second line and second power-play unit, which puts him in a position to make an impact on offense. Until he shows more offense, Johansson is a risky fantasy option, as it's tough to see his physicality from the first round carrying over all postseason.
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Ryan Hartman RW | MIN
Wild's Ryan Hartman: Buries goal in loss
Hartman scored a goal on seven shots, added two PIM, logged two hits and went minus-2 in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Hartman ended a five-game goal drought with his first-period tally. The 31-year-old has earned two goals, three assists, 21 shots, 14 hits, six blocked shots, 14 PIM and a plus-1 rating over seven playoff contests. Hartman will be counted on for significant top-six minutes in the absence of Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), who will be out until at least Game 3 of this series.
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Mats Zuccarello RW | LA
Wild's Mats Zuccarello: Tallies late in loss
Zuccarello scored a goal on two shots and went minus-2 in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Zuccarello has two goals and four helpers, as well as seven shots on net and a plus-1 rating, over four playoff contests. He missed three games due to an upper-body injury in the first round, but he's shown no signs of rust since returning to action in Game 5 against the Stars. There's no guarantee this second-round series will remain high scoring all the way through, but Zuccarello should be involved in a large part of what the Wild create.
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Quinn Hughes D | MIN
Wild's Quinn Hughes: Three-point showing in loss
Hughes scored a goal on two shots and added two assists in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.
Hughes was one of 11 skaters for the Wild to get on the scoresheet, though he was the only one to earn multiple points. With this series being billed as a battle between top defensemen in Hughes and Colorado's Cale Makar, it's encouraging to see the headliners each earn three points in the opener. Hughes is up to three goals, eight assists, 15 shots on net, seven blocked shots and a plus-9 rating over seven playoff contests.
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Jesper Wallstedt G | MIN
Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Left out to dry in Game 1 loss
Wallstedt stopped 34 of 42 shots in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1. The ninth goal was an empty-netter.
Defense was optional in this contest, and that didn't do Wallstedt any favors. He allowed three goals in a span of 2:01 in the middle of the first period, but it was two more tallies over 2:22 in the third that did him in. Wallstedt was entrusted with the crease to begin the first round against the Stars, but he likely can't afford to have another performance like this one, especially with a veteran in Filip Gustavsson waiting in the wings. Wallstedt is 4-3 with a 2.81 GAA and a .903 save percentage over seven playoff outings even after this awful performance. Game 2 is Tuesday in Colorado, and the Wild have yet to reveal their plans for goaltending in that contest.
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Ross Colton C | NSH
Avalanche's Ross Colton: Pockets helper in Game 1
Colton notched an assist, two hits and a minus-2 rating in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Wild in Game 1.
Colton entered the postseason on a 12-game point drought and then got scratched for the first two contests of the first round versus the Kings. He failed to get on the scoresheet in two outings after replacing Joel Kiviranta (undisclosed) in the lineup, but Colton was able to end the slump Sunday with a helper. The 29-year-old forward managed just 24 points across 73 regular-season appearances, though he added 159 hits and a plus-9 rating from a bottom-six role. In five previous playoff runs, he accumulated 11 goals and 23 points over 64 contests.