Niko’s Back, Nuggets Fall Short, and the Avs Draw the Wild

Niko is back on The Far End of the Bench, and Episode 272 landed right in the middle of one of the most chaotic Denver sports weeks of the year.

This episode was recorded Wednesday night, before the final results were locked in. At the time, the Nuggets were heading into Game 6 in Minnesota with a chance to force Game 7, and the Avalanche were still waiting to find out who they would face in Round 2.

Now we know.

The Nuggets are done. Minnesota closed the door in Game 6 and eliminated Denver.

The Avalanche are moving on to face the Wild in Round 2.

So yes, some of the predictions aged in real time. That is playoff sports. That is why we record. That is why we react. And that is why this episode still matters, because the conversation was bigger than one result.

It was about the pressure on the Nuggets, the championship path for the Avalanche, and the official beginning of the Benchwarmer Era for The Far End of the Bench.

The Nuggets Had the Door Open — and Couldn’t Walk Through It

Going into Game 6, the feeling was simple: Denver had a chance.

Not a perfect chance. Not a comfortable chance. But a real one.

The Timberwolves were banged up. The series had shifted. The Nuggets had already survived once and had the opportunity to drag the whole thing back to Ball Arena for Game 7. If that happened, all the pressure would have flipped onto Minnesota.

But it never got there.

The Timberwolves finished the job in Game 6, and now the Nuggets enter an offseason that has to be honest.

This was not just a random first-round exit. This was the Jokic-Murray era getting punched in the mouth by a team built specifically to beat them. Minnesota’s size, defense, physicality, and edge were all problems. The Wolves did not just survive the series. They took it.

And for Denver, that raises the uncomfortable question:

Is this still a championship core as currently built?

Jokic is still Jokic. That part is not up for debate. The banner is still real. The 2023 run still happened. The ring still counts no matter how many people online try to rewrite history because their team did not win it.

But this version of the Nuggets did not have enough.

Not enough shooting. Not enough depth. Not enough defensive answers. Not enough consistent force when the series demanded it.

That is the part that stings.

Because the door was open. Minnesota gave Denver a chance to make this weird. The Nuggets just could not take it.

Minnesota Earned It

As much as Nuggets fans may hate it, the Timberwolves deserve credit.

This team has been built with Denver in mind. Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, size everywhere, physical defenders, annoying length, and enough offensive firepower to make every possession feel like a fight.

This was not some fluke matchup.

This is becoming a real playoff rivalry.

These teams do not play clean, casual basketball. They play games that feel personal. Every rebound feels like a collision. Every whistle feels like a federal investigation. Every run feels like it might decide the series.

And this time, Minnesota was better.

That does not erase Denver’s championship. It does not make the 2023 title fake. It does not mean Jokic suddenly has to prove his entire career all over again.

But it does mean the Nuggets have work to do.

The West is not waiting around. Oklahoma City is here. San Antonio is coming. Minnesota just proved it can beat Denver again. The Lakers always find a way to be annoying. The conference is only getting tougher.

The Nuggets cannot run it back blindly and pretend the same answers will solve a new problem.

The Avalanche Got the Wild — and Round 2 Just Got Real

While the Nuggets’ season ended in Minnesota, the Avalanche now get their own Minnesota problem.

Colorado will face the Wild in Round 2, and honestly, this is the matchup that makes the most sense for where the Avs are right now.

The Kings series was a sweep, but it was not empty. The Avalanche won low-scoring games. They handled physical hockey. They proved they could win without every superstar lighting up the scoresheet. They got elite goaltending from Scott Wedgewood, strong defensive structure, and depth contributions up and down the lineup.

That is playoff hockey.

Now the Wild bring a much different challenge.

Minnesota is hotter than Dallas was. They have more offensive punch, better momentum, and the kind of complete game that can actually test Colorado. This is not a warm-up round. This is where the Avalanche have to prove that the Kings sweep was not just about beating an overmatched opponent.

The Avs are the better team.

But now they have to show it against a team that will not just roll over because Colorado has star power.

The Avs Look Like a Cup Team

Here is the scary part for the rest of the NHL:

The Avalanche swept the Kings without fully hitting their ceiling.

Nathan MacKinnon did not have to take over every night. Cale Makar did not have to drag the whole series by himself. The top-end stars were still dangerous, but the depth was the story.

Gabe Landeskog looked like he was climbing back into the emotional engine role. Artturi Lehkonen looked like a playoff demon again. The defensive additions mattered. The bottom-six had bite. The goalie question that existed before the series suddenly feels a lot quieter.

Scott Wedgewood took the net and gave Colorado exactly what it needed.

That matters.

Because in the playoffs, you do not need your goalie to be the storyline every night. You need him to erase mistakes, settle the group, and make the other team feel like cheap goals are not coming.

Wedgewood did that.

Now against Minnesota, that has to continue.

The Wild are not going to be impressed by Colorado’s sweep. They are not going to care that the Avs look like the most complete team left in the West. They are coming into this series believing they can win it.

Good.

That is exactly the kind of matchup this Avalanche team needs.

The Benchwarmer Era Is Here

Episode 272 was not only about playoff pressure.

It was also the official launch point for the next step of The Far End of the Bench.

The Benchwarmer membership tier is live on YouTube for $2.99/month, giving fans exclusive early access to Ridin’ the Pine every week and more members-first FEOTB content.

This is a big move for the show.

Not because the main feed is changing. Not because the regular episodes are going away. But because the people who ride with the Bench every week now have a way to get more.

More takes. More clips. More access. More chances to be part of what we are building.

That is the whole point.

The Far End of the Bench has always been about the people who stay in the fight. The ones who do not stay down. The ones who keep showing up.

Now that community has a name.

Benchwarmer Era.

Final Word

Episode 272 captured the exact chaos of playoff sports.

When we recorded Wednesday night, the Nuggets still had life and the Avalanche were waiting on their next opponent. Now, the Nuggets are eliminated and the Avs are officially heading into a Round 2 battle with the Wild.

That is sports. The second you think you know the story, the bracket punches you in the mouth.

Denver basketball has questions to answer.

Colorado hockey has a Cup path to chase.

And The Far End of the Bench has a new era to build.

So now we want to hear from you.

What needs to change for the Nuggets this offseason?

Do the Avalanche take care of the Wild in Round 2?

And are you joining the Benchwarmer Era?

Drop your takes, subscribe on YouTube, follow the show wherever you get your podcasts, and come sit on the far end of the bench.