The Avalanche can expect a much tougher time against Minnesota on Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center than in the two games that were played in Denver.
The Avalanche easily won both games at home, 7-2 and 7-1, after losing 3-2 in St. Paul in a shootout in November.
The
GAME NOTES.
"We haven't matched up well against them at all," Wild coach
Bruce Boudreau told reporters after the morning skate. "We haven't done anything good. We won in a shootout and we've gotten our butts kicked, so we have to change some things and hopefully we will tonight."
The Wild have won seven of the past nine games against Colorado on their home ice, the past three in a row. They are 24-5-6 at home this season, 21-2-5 in the past 28 at home.
The Avalanche are 4-0-3 in the past seven games overall, but 0-1-3 in the past four on the road, 1-2-3 in the past six away from the Pepsi Center. They're 12-16-6 overall on the road.
"There's a confidence about our group at home," Avalanche coach
Jared Bednar said. "Our challenge is to make sure we're transferring that into our road games. That will be a key for us tonight to start.
"We've been tough to beat at home, and you look at their record at home, it's been spectacular."
Semyon Varlamov will play in his 14th consecutive game as
Jonathan Bernier recovers from another head/neck injury. It will be his 12th start in this stretch. Bernier is skating, so that's a positive sign.
The trip concludes Thursday in St. Louis.
The lineup:
FORWARDS
Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Sven Andrighetto -- Tyson Jost -- J.T. Compher
Matt Nieto -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
Alexander Kerfoot -- Dominic Toninato -- Gabriel Bourque
DEFENSE
Nikita Zadorov -- Tyson Barrie
Patrik Nemeth -- Samuel Girard
Duncan Siemens -- David Warsofsky
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov
Spencer Martin
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