8:07 pm
April 5

Avalanche @ Wild

Who will WIN this matchup?

Colorado Avalanche (25-8-4)

@ Minnesota Wild (23-11-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Philipp Grubauer (COL): Confirmed

Cam Talbot (MIN): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Colorado Avalanche: (-175)

Minnesota Wild: (+155)

 

• The Minnesota Wild left Denver two weeks ago after getting completely dominated by the Colorado Avalanche. In two games they were outscored 11-1 and outshot 86-46. Those two losses could have lingered, but Minnesota quickly recovered. Since that trip to Colorado, the Wild are 5-1-1 and just swept a pair of road games from the Vegas Golden Knights. They take that momentum into two home games against the Avalanche, starting Monday night.

• Minnesota has been stingy on defense in its five recent wins, allowing just six goals. It is a far cry from March 20 when Colorado scored six in a shutout win. After that game, coming on the heels of a 5-1 loss, the players were left soul-searching for answers.

• Colorado is 12-0-2 in its last 14 games, sweeping St. Louis on Friday and Saturday nights. Both wins were one-goal games, and Saturday night’s outcome wasn’t decided until defenseman Cale Makar’s goal with 41 seconds left. Every line is producing for the Avalanche and the defensive corps is pitching in. Over the last 14 games, Colorado has outscored opponents 62-25 and has posted two shutouts. The Avalanche are the hottest team in the league and have justified the predictions that they have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup.

• The end of the season will be a test, however. Colorado plays 14 of its last 19 games on the road, with four of those road games coming against the teams sitting in second and third place. The Avalanche have been tested. Consider that they have won 10 consecutive games that have been decided by more two or more goals, but have won just four of the past eight one-goal results in the past month. Still, that they won the past two shows that they are even improving in that regard.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Colorado Avalanche
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