4 reasons Wild fans shouldn’t panic after brutal Game 1 loss to Avs

Things didn't exactly get off to the start Minnesota Wild fans were hoping for against Colorado, but the series is hardly over after one game. Fireworks were on display on both sides of the ice in Game 1, and while the Wild didn't come away with the victory, it's hard to feel too bad about what happened.

Obviously winning is the ideal outcome, but the way the Wild loss didn't imply that they're too many steps behind the Avalanche. It's a different gear from what the series against Dallas was, but the Wild battled back after being knocked down by the Stars and there's nothing to suggest they can't muster something like that up again.

If anything the way the Wild fought back and what they showed between the box score is reason for hope that this is going to be another long series that Minnesota absolutely can win.

Biggest reasons Wild fans shouldn't feel too bad after Game 1 loss to Avalanche

Offensive firepower was on full display

It took the LA Kings to nearly 250 minutes of game time to score five goals on the Avalanche in their opening round series. Minnesota needed less than a half hour to match that total in one single game -- let that sink in with a little excitement.

The Wild might have pulled off the truly Minnesota Sports feat of losing by three goals in a game the offense scored six, but let's focus mostly on that last part. Six different Wild players scored a goal, and the context in which those goals were scored matters. This marks back-to-back series where the Wild have scored six goals in Game 1, but unlike that game against the Stars they weren't in control for almost any of the game.

Colorado throttled Minnesota for pretty much the entire game, displaying the sort of rushes that will give fans nightmares the rest of the series. Despite that, the Wild battled back from 3-0 down to eventually take a 5-4 lead which is the sort of resilance we're not used to seeing this time of year.

It's never good to lose, but there's getting blown out and getting some unlucky breaks. Minnesota's night was somewhere in between that but there's no denying that the offense came to this series ready to match the Avs and that's going to matter a lot.

The Wild went blow-for-blow with the Avs without Joel Eriksson Ek

Not only did the Wild match Colorado almost blow-for-blow until the third period onslaught, Minnesota hung with the best team in hockey without one of its best players on the ice.

Joel Eriksson Ek is out for at least the first two games, if not more, and his absence was felt in a big way. Had he been healthy there's a decent chance that 1) the Avs don't score nine goals and 2) the Wild maybe win that game.

Being able to claw their way back and make what should have been a blowout into a bareknuckled slugfest without Eriksson Ek is a very good sign. Minnesota could have limped out of that game at 3-0 and chalked it up to a hangover from the Stars series, but the fact that the Wild were able to come back using guys all over the roster suggests that when Ek comes back it could be similar to the way the series tipped once Mats Zuccarello and Yakov Trenin returned against Dallas.

That's wasn't the Jesper Wallstedt we know and love

There's no way around the Very Bad night that Jesper Wallstedt had, but it's also incredibly unfair to saddle him with all of the blame. He ultimately gave up eight goals, and a few were on him, but he was let down in a big way by the defense and forwards in front of him.

Wallstedt is coming off a series where he posted a .924 save percentage and a narrow 2.04 GAA against one of the best teams in the league. He passed the eye test, too, making some incredible highlight reel saves while keeping the Wild in a series that we've seen slip away from them in the past.

The Wally that showed up for Game 1 is not the one fans are used to seeing, and he's earned enough credit to not let it block out all that he's done. If the trend of getting beat continues, then we have a problem, but let's not panic after one game -- that the Wild were in a position to win, no less -- overshadow what has been a stellar performance up to this point.

Kirill Kaprizov simply can't stay asleep at the wheel...right?

This might be more of a wishful thinking thing, but the law of averages suggests that Kirill Kaprizov will wake up on offense at some point. He hasn't scored a goal since Game 1 of the series against Dallas and he's sort of out of excuses now that Mats Zuccarello is back in the lineup.

Despite this, Kaprizov remains without a goal in seven games and it's a factor that no doubt is playing into some of the outcomes. He's come close, but nothing has gone in and it's hurt the Wild in games like Game 2 against the Stars where Dallas started to reclaim control of the series and Game 1 againt the Avs where double digit goals were scored.

The good news is that for as frustrating as his lack of scoring has been, Kaprizov hasn't been a non-factor. He has six points in the last three games, which helped flip the series against Dallas, so even though he's not scoring he's still helping fascilitate some offense.

At some point he has to heat up, and if he does then he could help flip things once again.

No matter what happens, the future is brighter than it usually is

Let's not get too gloom-and-doom about one loss in a series where the Wild are inevitably going to lose some games, but there's light at the end of the tunnel no matter what.

Usually when the Wild ope their way out of the playoffs there's not a lot to be hopeful about. This offseason, however, is one that should feature some serious action. Two big things are expected to happen: Minnesota will attempt to sign Quinn Hughes to an extension and Bill Guerin is going to go big game hunting on the trade market.

Rather than head into the offseason scrambling for answers, the Wild have a clear set of goals that will make the roster even better than it is now. That's not a position we're used to seeing the team in, and it's exciting stuff that will numb a playoff loss more than it has in the past.

Of course, the best case scenario is we head into the sort of offseason that lies ahead off a Stanley Cup win, but no matter what it's hard to feel as bad as we've felt before.

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