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Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche: Game 23

Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild


Matchavalanche_mediumMinnesotawild_medium

Colorado Avalanche (11-12-0) @ Minnesota Wild (14-7-1)

Xcel Energy Center @ 7:00 CST

Television: Versus (HD)
Listen live on WCCO.com
, or locally at 830 AM

For the Colorado perspective, check out Mile High Hockey

Tonight's lines:

Minnesota Wild

Colorado Avalanche

Veilleux - Koivu - Mittens
Brunette - Belanger - Nolan
Burns - Sheppard - Bouchard
Weller - Pouliot - Boogaard

Johnsson - Schultz
Zidlicky - Skoula
Reitz - Bergeron

Backstrom
Harding

Smyuth - Stastny - Hejduk
Wolski - Arnason - Svatos
Willies - Hensick - LaPerriere
McLeod - McCormick - Jones

Clark - Hannan
Liles - Salei
Leopold - Tjarnqvist

Budaj
Raycroft


Injuries: Minnesota Wild

Questionable

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Eric Belanger leg 12.1.2008

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Marian Gaborik lower body 10.15.2008
Kurtis Foster left leg surgery 9.20.2008


Injuries: Colorado Avalanche

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Ben Guite ribs 11.10.2008
Darcy Tucker sprained left knee 11.25.2008
Adam Foote back/neck 11.22.2008

Notes

  • The Wild have the top PK unit in the NHL, and the second PP unit. The Wild win the special teams battle on paper.
  • Minnesota is 5-0-1 in the last six overall meetings, including a 3-1 victory at Colorado on Nov. 6.
  • Niklas Backstrom is 8-1-1 with a 1.96 GAA and a .932 SV% in 10 starts against Colorado
  • With Darcy Tucker out, the Wild's knees should be safe tonight.
  • My AC adapter shorted out, so don't expect me to be online tonight. My phone died a week ago. The battery in my replacement phone died over the weekend and now my adapter for may laptop dies? My wife called me Dr. Doom. Blech.

Questions to Answer

  1. Can Mittens, Koivu and Nolan keep up their streaks?
  2. Did the day off against Nashville do Backstrom some good?
  3. Will the Wild get out of the fighting mentality they had against Nashville, or will LaPerriere find someone else to annoy since Gaborik is out?
  4. What impact will the C have on Johnsson?
  5. Can Brunette light up his former mates?

0 recs | Comment 45 comments

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Comments

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Wait a minute

That 5-0-1 record must not include the playoffs. Unless somehow the Avs and Wild have already played six times since then. (which would make this game impossible).

by InYoFace on Dec 1, 2008 6:29 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nope

It doesn’t include the playoffs. Those don’t count :)

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:13 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

WILD GOAL

And Mikko gets his point streak going early. Bouchard from Koivu. Nicely done.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:18 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Avalanche Goal

Marek Svatos scores for the Avs. 1-1 with 10:51 left in the first.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:25 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wow

That was a very loud pipe. I think they’re going to want to review that one.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:26 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nevermind

That’s what I get for trusting the reactions of the fans behind the net.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:28 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Avalanche goal. David Jones from Ian LaPerriere.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:29 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

WILD GOAL

Mikko Koivu on the power play, his second point of the game. Tied at 2

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:43 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Period Summary

Scoring Summary
 1st Period

 Minnesota 5:50, Pierre-Marc Bouchard 4 (Mikko Koivu, Martin Skoula)
 Colorado 9:09, Marek Svatos 4 (John-Michael Liles, Ruslan Salei)
 Colorado 12:43, David Jones 3 (Ian Laperriere, Cody McCormick)
 Minnesota 19:12, Mikko Koivu 9 (power play) (Brent Burns, Pierre-Marc Bouchard)

Penalty Summary
 1st Period

 Minnesota fighting – 5 min 5:37, C. Weller
 Colorado fighting – 5 min 5:37, C. McLeod
 Minnesota interference – 2 min 16:26, M. Zidlicky
 Colorado hooking – 2 min 19:05, R. Smyth
 Colorado unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 min 19:12, R. Smyth

Shots on Goal
Colorado – 11
Minnesota – 5

Faceoffs Won
Colorado – 9
Minnesota – 8

Power Play Conversions
Colorado – 0/1
Minnesota – 1/2

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 7:49 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Thank You Ryan Smyth

WILD GOAL!!!!

PMB on the PP from Mikko Koivu.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:03 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Avalanche goal. Back to 3-3. Backstrom looks not good tonight

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:07 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Avalanche goal 4-3

Milan Hejduk.

This is the worst game I’ve seen since the playoffs.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:18 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

We are getting frickin' ripped.

TV guys just said that we’re being outshot 20-6 right now. I guess the 50% field-goal percentage is good, but yikes….

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 8:28 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Yep

Luckily Budaj sucks, because he’s the only thing keeping us in the game.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:30 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

We are doing a great job of breaking their star players out of slumps. Seems as though that is all Minnesota hockey is good at lately.

by Den Karlsson on Dec 1, 2008 8:27 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

4:00 left in the second. Avs up 4-3. Shots are now 20-9 in favor of Colorado

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Balls. 5-3.

That might be it for Backstrom, though it’s not his fault.

Gotta love all the turnovers, right?

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Pull Backstrom now. 5-3 Avs as Hensick scores easily

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

That’ll probably do it. Someone call me when we have some semblance of an offense, nbot just a bad goalie at the other end,

by Den Karlsson on Dec 1, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Enough Burns at forward. Enough. The defense has been a liability for two weeks.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:36 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

6-3

Fans booing. I’m booing. Good God.

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 8:36 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Moves need to be made

Reitz needs to sit, he’s a liability every time he takes the ice. Burns needs to come back to the blue line for either Reitz or Zidlicky, who has also been weak in his own end the last few games.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:38 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Burns

Burns is an average left wing. He is an excellent defender. I don’t understand the movement to play him at wing; surely we can find somebody else (Kolanos?) to take fifteen shifts a night at wing.

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 8:41 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Agreed

Changes need to be made.

by Den Karlsson on Dec 1, 2008 8:41 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wild goal

Owen Nolan on the PP. 6-4.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:40 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Now, if we could just convince the Avs to play the entire third period on the penalty kill, we would be set.

by Den Karlsson on Dec 1, 2008 8:41 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Period Summary

Scoring Summary
 1st Period

 Minnesota 5:50, Pierre-Marc Bouchard 4 (Mikko Koivu, Martin Skoula)
 Colorado 9:09, Marek Svatos 4 (John-Michael Liles, Ruslan Salei)
 Colorado 12:43, David Jones 3 (Ian Laperriere, Cody McCormick)
 Minnesota 19:11, Mikko Koivu 9 (power play) (Brent Burns, Pierre-Marc Bouchard)
2nd Period
 Minnesota 0:22, Pierre-Marc Bouchard 5 (power play) (Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marek Zidlicky)
 Colorado 3:49, Paul Stastny 5 (Brian Willsie, Milan Hejduk)
 Colorado 8:16, Milan Hejduk 10 (power play) (Paul Stastny)
 Colorado 16:32, T.J. Hensick 1 (Ian Laperriere)
 Colorado 17:51, Paul Stastny 6 (Ryan Smyth, Milan Hejduk)
 Minnesota 19:18, Owen Nolan 5 (power play) (Andrew Brunette, Mikko Koivu)

Penalty Summary
 1st Period

 Minnesota fighting – 5 min 5:37, C. Weller
 Colorado fighting – 5 min 5:37, C. McLeod
 Minnesota interference – 2 min 16:26, M. Zidlicky
 Colorado hooking – 2 min 19:05, R. Smyth
 Colorado unsportsmanlike conduct – 2 min 19:11, R. Smyth
2nd Period
 Minnesota interference – 2 min 7:41, K. Johnsson
 Colorado tripping – 2 min 19:11, D. Jones

Shots on Goal
Colorado – 11-15
Minnesota – 5-7

Faceoffs Won
Colorado – 20
Minnesota – 26

Power Play Conversions
Colorado – 1/2
Minnesota – 3/3

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 8:52 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Hmm

Here’s a lot of back and forth. Both teams just trying to end the game.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 9:10 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Burns!

Well, this might be the most interesting game of the year.

Tony Granato seems like coaching makes him yell a lot.

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 9:21 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I like the new NFL-style ref announcements after the review. They’re silly.

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 9:24 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ugh

It’s just ridiculous.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 9:26 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

1:47 left

How long until they go to the EN

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 9:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Well, this was entertaining, but it's hard to forget how bad the team was.

Five goals is nice, but of the six they gave up, how many were just ugly turnovers? Three or four?

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 9:36 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Screw entertaining

This was a horrible game and a horrible loss.

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 9:38 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Exactly

Some people get angry with me when I complain about the Wild’s play, the trap, etc. Then they throw games like this in my face as evidence as me being wrong. Idiots, I usually call these people.

by Den Karlsson on Dec 1, 2008 9:43 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Dumb comment of the evening “Minnesota just doesn’t score much, so it was nice to see” – Brian Engblom (hey Brian, Avs score less than Wild)

by nathaneide on Dec 1, 2008 9:41 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Yeah, but it's Brian Engblom.

So it’s probably in the top 10 intelligent things he’s said all year.

by Jon Marthaler on Dec 1, 2008 9:44 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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