Game Preview: Avalanche at Wild

COLORADO AVALANCHE (28-19-5) AT MINNESOTA WILD (28-20-5)
7:30 PM MT | EXCEL ENERGY CENTERWATCH: TNTLISTEN: 92.5FM/950 AM
The Avs travel to Minnesota to battle the Wild Wednesday night in the second leg of a back-to-back. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. on TNT.

LAST TIME OUT

Colorado looks to get back in the win colum after suffering a 4-3 shootout loss to Tampa Bay Tuesday night. Nathan MacKinnon recorded two points (1G, 1A), while Artturi Lehkonen and Denis Malgin both found the back of the net. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 32 of the 35 shots that came his way.
Minnesota enters Wednesday's matchup coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to Florida Monday night. Kirill Kaprizov scored the lone goal for the Wild, which was his 30th of the season. Filip Gustavsson made 33 saves.

HISTORY

Colorado owns a 58-46-15 all-time mark versus Minnesota, and a 26-23-11 record on the road.
Wednesday's game is the second of three contests between the two teams this season, with the final outing in Denver on March 29. In the first matchup, Colorado came out on top 6-3 in Minnesota. Six different Avalanche players found the back of the net: Ben Meyers, Samuel Girard, Mikko Rantanen, Josh Manson, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin.

SCOUTING THE WILD

Kaprizov paces Minnesota in scoring with 63 points (30G, 33A), which leads the team in goals and is tied with Mats Zuccarello in helpers. Zuccarello is second in points with 52 (19G, 33A).

LINEUP UPDATES

Avalanche
Gabriel Landeskog Lower body
Josh MansonLower body
Darren Helm Lower body
Cale MakarUpper body
Pavel Francouz Lower body
Erik JohnsonLower body

DOING THE MOST

MacKinnon has registered 47 points (16G, 31A) in 41 games against Minnesota, which is ranked second in franchise history behind Milan Hejduk (22G, 28A in 68GP) in scoring versus the Wild franchise.
Rantanen has averaged 1.21 points per game (14G, 21A) in 29 games played against the Wild.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Jared Spurgeon leads all-active Wild players with 20 points (5G, 15A) against Colorado.

NUMBERS GAME

3 in 4
After missing 38 games due to a lower-body injury, Bowen Byram has recorded at least one point in three of his last four games since returning to the lineup.
1.46
MacKinnon recorded two points (1G, 1A) against Tampa Bay and now averages 1.46 points per game this season, which ranks fourth in the NHL.
30:04
Devon Toews posted a season high of 30:04 of ice time in Tuesday's game verus the Lightning.