Preview: Wild at Avalanche

DENVER -- The Minnesota Wild plays the second game of a four-game road trip tonight against the Colorado Avalanche on ESPN.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Tuesday, April 9 at 8:30 p.m. CT
• Where: Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado)
• Watch: ESPN
• Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM
• Gamecenter: Wild at Avalanche

Wild Record: 37-31-9, 83 points, 6th in Central Division

Avs Record: 48-24-6, 102 points, 2nd in Central Division

2023-24 Series Record: 0-2-1

Wild vs. Avalanche All-Time Record: 59-52-13 (26-27-8 at Colorado)

Last Time Out

The Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon (4/7) at United Center. F Kirill Kaprizov paced the Wild with three points (2-1=3). F Marco Rossi and F Freddy Gaudreau also scored goals for Minnesota. In his second NHL game G Jesper Wallstedt earned his first win and first shutout, stopping all 24 shots faced.

The Avalanche fell to the Dallas Stars, 7-4, on Sunday at home. Forwards Brandon Duhaime (1-1=2) and Nathan MacKinnon (0-2=2) paced Colorado with two points apiece. Forwards Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen and D Sean Walker also scored goals for the Avs. G Alexandar Georgiev stopped 30-of-36 attempts (.833 SV%).

This Season on Wild vs. Avs

The Wild is 0-2-1 against the Avalanche this season.

Colorado won the series-opening game, 3-2, at Xcel Energy Center (11/24), the second game, 2-1, in overtime at Ball Arena (3/8) and the third contest, 5-2, in St. Paul (4/4).

Kaprizov leads Minnesota with four points (1-3=4) against the Avs this season. F Joel Eriksson Ek (1-1=2) and F Mats Zuccarello (0-2=2) each have two points. G Filip Gustavsson has started all three contests for the Wild and is 0-2-1 with a 3.00 GAA and a .910 SV%.

MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with six points (1-5=6) against Minnesota this season while Drouin is second with three points (2-1=3). Georgiev started the first two games and is 2-0-0 with a 1.47 GAA and a .941 SV%. G Justus Annunen started the third contest and saved 44-of-46 shots faced for Colorado.

Wild Leaders against Avalanche

• Zuccarello leads Minnesota with 28 points (5-23=28) in 29 career matches against Colorado
• D Alex Goligoski has 21 points (4-17=21) in 45 games
• Kaprizov has 19 points (11-8=19) in 17 games
• F Ryan Hartman owns 17 points (9-8=17) in 34 contests

Avalanche Leaders against Wild

• MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 55 points (18-37=55) in 45 games against Minnesota
• F Mikko Rantanen owns 37 points (15-22=37) in 34 contests
• F Andrew Cogliano owns 19 points (7-13=19) in 66 games

Recent Transactions

The Minnesota Wild recalled G Jesper Wallstedt from Iowa (4/6) and signed G Samuel Hlavaj to a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2024-25 season.

To view more recent transactions, visit wild.com/transactions.

Connections

• Wild Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson skated in 20 games with Colorado in 2003-04
• Duhaime was selected by the Wild in the fourth-round (106th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft and skated in 193 career games across three seasons for Minnesota (2021-24), collecting 35 points (19-16=35)
• F Zach Parise is a native of Minneapolis and skated in 558 games over nine seasons (2012-21) for Minnesota, recording 400 points (199-201=400)
• F Casey Mittelstadt is from Eden Prairie and played one season (2017-18) at the University of Minnesota

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has 59 wins and 131 points against Colorado all-time, second-most against any franchise
• Minnesota defeated Colorado in seven games in the 2003 First Round and the 2014 First Round
• The Avalanche won the 2008 First Round series in six games

For more information on tonight's contest, check out the game notes below.