Avalanche Game 43 at Minnesota Wild, Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (25-16-1) are on the second leg of a back-to-back against a Central Division rival sitting ahead of them in the standings, the Minnesota Wild (26-11-4). Puck drop is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. MT.

READ MORE: Juuso Parssinen Scores First Goal in Loss to Blackhawks

The Avalanche look to rebound in a huge way after suffering a bad 3-1 loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. Goalie Petr Mrazek stood on his head for the opposition, winning his first game in more than two months. The Avs scored first — Juuso Parssinen’s first goal since being acquired — but that was the only shot they could get past Mrazek.

Jonathan Drouin missed the game with an upper-body injury that has lingered for most of the season. It’s uncertain as of now if he’ll be back in the lineup against the Wild. If not, the team might once again have to play with seven defensemen given the lack of forward call-ups over the past 24 hours. The roster projections below will continue to show Drouin on the injured list but this is subject to change. Since the Avs won’t have a morning skate, we likely won’t get an update on his status until the warm-ups before puck drop.

Mackenzie Blackwood will get the nod in goal after Trent Miner made his first career NHL start against Chicago. On Wednesday, head coach Jared Bednar said on Altitude Sports radio that Blackwood will rest against the Blackhawks so he can be in goal for the more crucial matchup against Minnesota.

READ MORE: Avs Fall to Blackhawks; Panthers Bounce Back in Utah; Flames at L.A. Postponed

Like the Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild are also dealing with injuries. Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, and Brock Faber will be missing from the lineup, thinning out a defense core that has done an excellent job this season. That means Minnesota won’t have its top three blueliners or top star forward Kirill Kaprizov in the lineup.

The Wild also might need to use an emergency backup goalie if Marc-Andre Fleury (illness) cannot back up for the starter Filip Gustavsson.

Gustavsson is enjoying a Vezina Trophy-caliber season thus far. He’s 18-6-3 with a .922 save percentage and three shutouts. He even has a goal.

The matchup between the two clubs will be the first of five Avalanche games against Minnesota, Winnipeg, or Dallas over a seven-game stretch. These are the three teams ahead of them in the Central Division standings.

This is the first matchup against Minnesota this season. But Colorado is already 0-1 against the Stars and 1-1 against Winnipeg.

READ MORE: Blackwood Still Can’t Believe He Plays For The Avalanche

Season Series

• Jan. 9 at Minnesota Wild
• Jan. 20 vs Minnesota Wild
• Feb. 28 vs Minnesota Wild
• March 11 at Minnesota Wild

Avalanche Injuries

• Jonathan Drouin (upper body, day-to-day)
• Scott Wedgewood (lower body, week-to-week)
• Valeri Nichushkin (lower body, day-to-day)
• Ivan Ivan (upper body, week-to-week)
• Oliver Kylington (upper body, IR)
• Miles Wood (upper body, LTIR)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Juuso Parssinen — Casey Mittelstadt — Ross Colton
Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Logan O’Connor
Jere Innala — Tye Felhaber

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Keaton Middleton — Sam Malinski
Calvin de Haan

Mackenzie Blackwood
Trent Miner

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
• Confirmed: Filip Gustavsson (MIN)

Upcoming Milestones

• Jonathan Drouin — needs 1 goal for 100
• Casey Mittelstadt — needs 1 game for 400
• Nathan MacKinnon — needs 4 PPG for 100
• Devon Toews — needs 3 assists for 200
• Ross Colton — needs 5 games for 300
• Logan O’Connor — needs 8 points for 100