Wild Game Day number 65 Wild Record (36-21-7 79 pts) Road Record (14-16-1)
Opponent: Colorado Avalanche (34-24-5 73 pts) Home Record (22-8-1)
Site: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Time: 8:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last Season Results: 11/6 Wild 0 @ Avalanche 1 11/19 Avalanche 3 @ Wild 2 12/20 Avalanche 0 @ Wild 2 4/2 Avalanche 2 @ Wild 5 4/6 Wild 4 @ Avalanche 3
Last result; 11/24 Avalanche 2 @ Wild 3(SO) 1/6 Wild 2 @ Avalanche 7
Last night the Wild dropped their 2nd game of the season to the last place Coyotes,and this time they were unable to gain a point in the process. Yes, the loss is disappointing, but to say the Wild took Arizona lightly or for granted is just not the case.
Just like the eight goals the Wild scored against St. Louis and the overinflated numbers that the new top line had posted in the last three games, last night was one of those games that caught up with the Wild.
The team came out with some great jump and registered 12 shots before the Coyotes got their first. Antti Raanta was very good in the Arizona goal, otherwise the Wild could have had a multiple goal lead after the first period, but went to the locker room up just 1-0.
Jakob Chychrun got the Coyotes even with a powerplay goal late in the 2nd period which gave Arizona life heading into the third. That was the fear for the Wild heading into the game, that the longer the Coyotes are allowed to remain in the game, the more likely a disappointing outcome may follow.
That happened of course as the Coyotes scored four third period goals to send the Wild on their way with a very sour loss in the desert.
No time for the Wild to look back on what could have been as tonight they face the Avalanche in Denver. The Pepsi Center has been one of the toughest buildings for Avalanche opponents, with Colorado going 14-3-0 since mid-December, at home. Of course that includes the 7-2 blasting of the Wild back on January 6th.
Since the last Wild visit to Colorado, the Avalanche have gone 7-1-0 at home, and yielded just 13 goals in those eight games.
Nathan McKinnon has 21 goals and 51 points at home this season. To put that into perspective, that is a point shy of the Avalanche team record set by Joe Sakic, back in 2006-07 and Mckinnon still has 10 home games remaining.
Back to backs are part of the NHL schedule, and every team must deal with them, and there are no excuses. If the Wild want to be considered to be a top team and a contender, games like tonight will show what they are made of.
Coming off a disappointing loss to a non-playoff team and having to turn right around and face a team battling for their playoff lives, in a building that is one of the league's toughest to win in. This is a character game for the Wild, nothing needs to be said by the coaching staff, this game must be played from the Wild players hearts.
They should already be fired up to erase the memory of their last visit to the Pepsi Center, but compound that with last might's loss and you have the perfect scenario for a team to come together and battle for each other with pride.
Let's hope that the spark of Luke Kunin in the Wild lineup will give the team the jolt they are looking for. One of the things that Chuck Fletcher said that he felt was missing last season, when the Wild struggled through the month of March, was a lack of youth that could be infused into the lineup from Iowa.
He feels that with Kunin and hopefully in a few weeks the potential signing of Jordan Greenway along with some of the other depth players that Fletcher added over the Summer, will give the Wild that element that was missing last year down the stretch.
No excuses for the Wild tonight, gotta come out strong, and most likely will have to face a barrage of Avalanche chances early. Colorado is rested and will look to put the Wild on their heels right from the getgo.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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