Adrian Dater
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – I can’t stand exhibition or preseason games, but I have to admit – this was one exhibition game I couldn’t wait to watch. I’m sure those who watched the Avalanche exhibition game against the Minnesota Wild today would say the same thing.
I thought the Avs looked like a team that hadn’t played for four months, for good portions of the game anyway. But in the end, they still were the better team in a 3-2 victory over the Wild at Rogers Place. I thought the Avs looked pretty spotty in their own end for much of the first period, but got better after that. They took way too many penalties, but they were able to cash in on a power play of their own to break a 2-2 tie in the second period, on a Gabe Landeskog putback on a 5-on-3 early in the second.
Philipp Grubauer started the game and allowed two goals on 20 shots. One was a 5-on-3 PPG against, and one was a fluky bounce off the backboard to a wide-open Eric Staal. Pavel Francouz came in around the midway mark of regulation and looked good.
Frankie made some big saves, including a great stop on Kevin Fiala right at the end of a double-minor penalty being served by Conor Timmins for high-sticking.
Here are your Avalanche Corsi stats, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick:
Here are you game highlights: