Colorado Avalanche top Minnesota Wild in high-scoring opener - ESPN

Giving up nine goals to the Colorado Avalanche meant the Minnesota Wild were left to answer several questions about how and why they allowed so many in the first place.

Quite a bit about the Wild came under focus, after they went from trailing by three goals to leading by a goal, only to watch the Avalanche rally for a 9-6 win Sunday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal.

«I think there's a lot to look back on with a bit of a helter-skelter game,» Wild coach John Hynes told reporters after the loss. «Obviously, you take a look at the score. We'll take a look at some things and take some lessons out of this one and be ready for Game 2.»

Finishing with the best record in the NHL meant that any team facing the Avalanche were going to encounter challenges. Even more so with Colorado ending the regular season leading the league in goals per game.

The scoring prowess has also carried over into the postseason. At first, it appeared that the Los Angeles Kings may have found a solution. They limited the Avalanche to just two goals per game in the first two games of the quarterfinal round.

Only for the Avalanche to then average 4.5 goals before sweeping the Kings in four games and having a week between games while the Wild eventually eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games.

Part of the formula the Wild used to beat the Stars and win their first playoff series since 2015 was their defensive structure.

They limited the Stars, who finished in the top 10 in goals per game in the regular season, to 2.5 goals per game in the playoffs with rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt making the necessary saves behind a defensive structure that consistently blocked shots and took away passing lanes.

That's not what happened Sunday