Malinski's demeanor on display for Avalanche ahead of Game 3 against Wild

DENVER -- Sam Malinski sat at his stall, his bottom lip bloodied from a wayward puck he took to the mouth during Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round, the same game he scored the first Stanley Cup Playoff goal of his career.

"Felt great," the Colorado Avalanche defenseman said of his goal at 11:12 of the first period in a 9-6 win against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. "Definitely not playing for a little while, having a little time off, it was a good way to get it going again. I'm sure my family's excited. It was exciting for all of us."

That's Malinski, calm in any situation and taking things in stride, including career milestones. The 27-year-old showed that demeanor when he joined the first power-play unit in place of Cale Makar, who missed most of the first after absorbing a big hit from Wild forward Marcus Foligno.

He's helped the Avalanche take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series, which shifts to Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, for Game 3 on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN1, SN, TVAS, CBC).

A native of Lakeville, Minnesota, located about 20 miles south of downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, Malinski has taken big strides this season. He had 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists) in 82 games but, more impressively, his plus-43 was an NHL career high and first in the League at his position. Teammate Josh Manson was next at plus-42.

That was just part of the improvement Malinski, who went undrafted, showed from his rookie season of 2024-25, when he had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) and was plus-8 in 76 games.

"That doesn't happen by mistake," said Mike Schafer, Malinski's coach at Cornell University from 2019-23. "You have to be able to contribute offense, but you also can't get scored on. I think that's probably his biggest accomplishment this year. To post that kind of plus/minus was incredible.

"It's confidence. That step is feeling like you're being part of it, you belong in the League. You can contribute, you can have a little more confidence to hold the puck a little bit longer, not worry about your mistakes. It's a tough transition to play in the NHL and all those things considered, I think Sam is playing unbelievable. He's always had that skill set, but he has great belief in himself, and I think you need that in order to become a regular in the NHL."

Malinski has three points (one goal, two assists) in six postseason games, is plus-8 and averaging 20:10 of ice time. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he's improved each game, including "the ability to check the right way on the defensive side of things and be dialed in and improve that aspect of his game. I feel like the confidence is there with that part of it.

"He's always paying attention to it, focused on the right things, and then trying to improve his game and take another step offensively. I think that confidence has been growing for quite some time, and it's gotten better over the course of this year as well. We've always kind of known that he has that in him, and he's shown flashes of being a top contributor on the offensive side of things. He's realized it and knows that he can make an impact in more than just the defending side of the game. And he's been doing it more consistently now, recently as well."

Malinski's rise through the ranks meant the Avalanche could part with another defenseman to get a veteran presence at the position. They did that by acquiring Brett Kulak, 32, in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 24 for 27-year-old defenseman Samuel Girard and a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. 

Malinski and Kulak have been defense partners since. 

"I really like playing with him," Kulak said. "He's really good with the puck. He's really a very good two-way defenseman. He's got a lot of special skills offensively, but he's also really good defensively and plays smart. He's good positionally and breaks the puck out well. So, I didn't know much about him coming in before I got to the team, but just time I've spent with him, I've really enjoyed playing with him.

"I think a big thing is the poise he has, because I don't think he's super experienced, but yeah, he plays with a ton of poise and makes plays under pressure, which is a pretty special quality."

It could be tough for an up-and-coming defenseman to find his place in a group with a top pair of Makar and Devon Toews, Ironman veteran Brent Burns and Kulak, who went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers the previous two seasons.

But Malinski has found his niche, and he's thriving. 

"I mean, it's meant a ton," Malinski said. "Coming into the year I had high expectations for myself and just wanted to make sure I was sticking with the process no matter what and trying to get better every day. It's been, probably, a success in my eyes."

NHL.com independent correspondent Ryan Boulding contributed to this report