[3:00 PM] Wild @ Avalanche

Who will WIN this matchup?

Minnesota Wild (6-3-1)

@ Colorado Avalanche (4-5-0)

 

Starting Goalies:

Devan Dubnyk (MIN): Confirmed

Calvin Pickard (COL): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Minnesota Wild: (-110)

Colorado Avalanche: (+100)

 

• Bruce Boudreau is 10 games into his tenure as Minnesota Wild coach and is far from satisfied with the 13 points they’ve earned as they begin a four-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota had a three-game winning streak snapped – all shutouts by Devan Dubnyk – with a 2-1 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday.

• Colorado lost 4-0 in Chicago on Thursday for its fourth setback in five games – a stretch in which it scored six goals.

• Boudreau is hard to satisfy as Minnesota was also fifth in scoring through Thursday’s games (3.3 goals) despite Zach Parise (two goals, team-high 28 shots) missing the last two contests with a foot injury that has him listed as week-to-week.

• Duchene (team highs of five goals and eight points) is off to a fast start but fellow alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon (one goal, minus-3 rating) is not. Top defensemen Erik Johnson (four assists, minus-4) and Tyson Barrie (team-worst minus-6), and No. 1 goaltender Semyon Varlamov (2-5-0, 3.30, .891) are also struggling.

• The Avalanche are 2-for-22 on the power play over their last seven games after converting 4-of-9 chances in their first two contests.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Minnesota Wild

Confidence: 5/10

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