Preview: Avalanche hunting bounce back against wounded Wild
Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images
Avs get a chance to to rebound quickly after a souring defeat to the Blackhawks Wednesday.
It’s another Avalanche game day!
After dropping one in Chicago and losing a point streak in the process, the Avalanche are back in action tonight for a visit with the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have been one of the most consistent teams in the NHL this season, but have been a bit up and down since the start of December due to injuries. Despite ongoing injury woes, they’re currently on a four-game win streak, so the Avs will have to show up to earn a win tonight.
Let’s get into the preview.
Right back at it, looking for a rebound win against the Minnesota Wild #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/kaRKOOd17s— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) January 9, 2025
Colorado Avalanche
With the eight-game point streak coming to a halt last night, the Avalanche have an opportunity to quickly rebound on the second night of a back-to-back with a win against one of the top teams in the NHL thus far this season.
The Avs simply didn’t play well against the Blackhawks. Despite heavily outshooting Chicago, Colorado made too many mistakes defensively, as well as with the puck. Combine those mistakes with a measly two shots combined between Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen, and a snoozer of a contest against a heavily inferior opponent is the result.
“I felt like we had a lot of chances [last night], just, it seemed at times that our execution wasn’t there,” Makar said. “Whether it was through the neutral zone or D zone, also just letting them get their [blue] line easy a couple times that result in the goals.”
Minnesota will not be an easy out, and the Avs will need their superstar trio to lead the way against the Wild. They’ve been one of the NHL’s best defensive teams this season, allowing only 2.66 goals against per game this season, but have struggled with their special teams, specifically their PK which is operating at just under 71% right now.
This puts the Avs stars in a nice position to dominate after a letdown of a performance yesterday. Colorado can’t afford for their top players to be passengers tonight. The status of Jonathan Drouin remains unknown going into tonight, after missing last night’s contest for maintenance purposes. For now, he’s questionable. If he can’t go, Calvin De Haan would likely play once again tonight, and the Avs would go 11 forwards, and seven defensemen.
MacKenzie Blackwood will draw the start in net for the Avalanche tonight. Blackwood has been stellar since joining the club, boasting a 7-1-1 record along with a 1.69 GAA and a .938 save percentage. The Avs will need another solid effort from Blackwood tonight, as Minnesota has been heating back up after a bit of a December slump. Trent Miner will serve as backup.
Projected Lineup:
Jonathan Drouin (27) - Nathan MacKinnon (29) - Mikko Rantanen (96)Ross Colton (20) - Casey Mittelstadt (37) - Artturi Lehkonen (62)Joel Kiviranta (94) - Parker Kelly (17) - Logan O’Connor (25)Tye Felhaber (48) - Juuso Parssinen (16) - Jere Innala (22)
Devon Toews (7) - Cale Makar (8)Samuel Girard (49) - Josh Manson (42)Keaton Middleton (67) - Sam Malinski (70)
MacKenzie Blackwood (39)
Minnesota Wild
After opening the year as one of the NHL’s hottest teams, followed by a bit of a dip in December, the Wild have found their stride once again, having won their last four contests coming into tonight’s matchup. They’ve done so with guys coming in and out of the lineup since the Christmas break, but more importantly, they have done so without their superstar winger, Kirill Kaprizov, who has not played since December 23.
Coming into tonight, Minnesota’s injury woes are worsening, specifically on the backend. Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin, who have been operating as the Wild’s top defense pairing, are both out for tonight’s contest, after sustaining injuries in Minnesota’s previous game. This unit was already operating without Captain Jared Spurgeon, so Minnesota’s defense corps is in a world of hurt right now.
Travis Dermott and David Jiricek will draw into the lineup in their places. Zach Bogosian and Jake Middleton (brother of Avs Defenseman Keaton Middleton) will skate on the top pair for the Wild.
Things don’t get much better in net.
Filip Gustavsson will be between the pipes for Minnesota, but we’ll be on EBUG watch in Minnesota tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s dealing with an illness, did not skate this morning. The Wild proactively signed AHL Goaltender Dylan Ferguson for a scenario such as this, but he got hurt himself last night. Fleury will either have to backup Gustavsson while under the weather, or an EBUG will be on the Minnesota bench.
You’re not gonna believe this, Dylan Ferguson - the goalie the #mnwild signed two days ago just in case Fleury or Gustavsson got hurt or sick - got hurt last night. So with Jesper Wallstedt hurt and Samuel Hlavaj making too much money, the Wild’s in a pickle w Fleury sick https://t.co/KaSwTfbNjL— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 9, 2025
As for Gustavsson, he has been one of the best goalies in the NHL for the Wild this season in a starter’s role. Sitting at 18-6-3, with a 2.31 GAA and a .922 save percentage, Gustavsson has been vital to the success Minnesota has seen thus far this season.
Projected Lineup:
Matt Boldy (12) - Marco Rossi (23) - Mats Zuccarello (36)Marcus Johansson (90) - Joel Eriksson Ek (14) - Ryan Hartman (38)Marcus Foligno (17) - Frederick Gaudreau (89) - Yakov Trenin (13)Devin Shore (19) - Marat Khusnutdinov (22) - Ben Jones (39)
Jacob Middleton (5) - Zach Bogosian (24)Jon Merrill (4) - Declan Chisholm (47)Travis Dermott (44) - David Jiricek (10)
Filip Gustavsson (32)...
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