Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild (7:00MST)
Thu, Jan 28th vs Minnesota Wild (7:00 MST)
Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild
The Avalanche have more than routinely had trouble dispatching the Wild over the last few years. In the regular season, the Avs are on an unfortunate run against Minnesota where they have only pulled out 2 wins in 16 tries. Aside from bouncing the Wild out of the playoffs two season ago, Minnesota has had Colorado’s number.
Early in the season, the Avalanche gave up 2-1 and 3-0 2nd period leads in Minneapolis and ended up losing 3-2 and 3-5 respectively. Colorado dropped a 2-0 lead the night after that second game, this time in Denver, and ended up losing 2-3 in a shootout. The Avs couldn’t find the back of the net in an 0-1 loss two weeks later despite an outstanding performance by Peter Budaj.
But a visit to Minnesota on December 21st finally saw the Avalanche skate away with a win, and that game may have been just the break Colorado needed to forget their worries versus the veteran Wild. The Avalanche improved their shot selection in that game, and their natural goal-scoring talent worked its magic to the tune of a 4-3 regulation victory.
This is the last game of the season against the wily Wild, and it would be a huge win for the Avalanche. Not only for staying ahead of the Canucks in the Northwest now, but for their division and conference records (both crucial tie-breakers for playoff seeding) at the end of the regular season.
PREDICTION: AVALANCHE 3, WILD 1
