ST. PAUL, Minn. — It would have been impossible for the Avalanche to go through an entire postseason run without losing a game. Monday night reveals this roster’s true character as players face adversity and attempt to rebound in a crucial Game 4.

Here are three keys to Colorado bouncing back.

Get to Jesper Wallstedt early

The Wild put their young goaltender back in for Game 3, and he responded in a big way, stopping 34 of 35 shots.

Colorado thinks it needs to do a better job of making life more difficult on him.

“Just get more traffic there. It’s cliché but cliché for a reason,” Jack Drury said. “It’s hard for goalies when there are four guys in the paint. More traffic and the last couple of games, we probably haven’t gotten enough pucks on net.”

Wallstedt was able to get hot early in Game 3, stopping Parker Kelly on a partial breakaway to get into the game. If he’s playing well, the Wild are a difficult team to beat.

Keep up the physicality

Everyone knew the Wild were going to come out and take it to the Avalanche physically in Game 3.

The problem is the Avalanche never really punched back. It was clear all night long that one team just wanted it more than the other.

Colorado was bound to have a game like that at some point in the playoffs, but if they let it happen again, this series suddenly gets very interesting.

Even out the blue line minutes

This team needs Josh Manson back in the lineup.

Nick Blankenburg has played less than eight minutes in each of the last two games, which puts more stress on the other five defensemen in the lineup.

Cale Makar hasn’t practiced or taken morning skate since Game 1, a game he exited for a large stretch of time, so he may be playing through something himself.

Even with that, Makar played nearly 30 minutes in Game 3. Getting Manson back would even out the minutes a little more on the blue line and add a level of physicality that this team needs.