Avalanche Game 61 vs Minnesota Wild: 3rd Place Up For Grabs, Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (34-24-2) continue their six-game homestand with a crucial division rival game against the Minnesota Wild (34-21-4). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. MT.

READ MORE: 10 Observations: ‘No Passengers’ in a Nearly Perfect Avalanche Performance (+)

Coming off an excellent performance and a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils, the Avs have an opportunity to overtake the Wild for third in the Central with a regulation win. Colorado is currently two points back, but Minnesota has a game in hand. The Avs otherwise have the regulation win tiebreaker.

Against New Jersey, the Avs were able to dress a healthy top six for just the sixth time this season. They also had a fully healthy forward group for the first time in a while (Gabriel Landeskog aside).

Just by adding Valeri Nichushkin, everything seemed to fall into place. Even though the player he replaced, Juuso Parssinen, was healthy scratched, the top six still got a jolt from the addition of the power forward.

Head coach Jared Bednar said it was because of momentum and puck control, which carried on from shift to shift. Nichushkin was one of three forwards without a point but had an incredible game. His linemates, Casey Mittelstadt and Jonathan Drouin, were both on the scoresheet.

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas continued their spectacular play together. The reigning Hart Trophy winner had two power-play goals, and Necas had yet another three-point effort.

Mackenzie Blackwood was solid in goal and gets the nod again. Blackwood is 15-7-2 since joining the Avs, with a shiny .922 save percentage. He’s given up just one goal in his last three starts at home.

Colorado will go with the same lineup as the one from Wednesday.

READ MORE: One Win Makes a Difference: Bednar’s Message to Avs

Minnesota is on the second leg of a back-to-back after getting walloped by Utah Hockey Club 6-1 on Thursday. Still without Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild have lost their last two games and are 6-4-0 in their last 10.

Marc-Andre Fleury got the nod in goal yesterday and gave up all six goals. This likely means that Filip Gustavsson will be back between the pipes against the Avs. Despite being the Wild’s top goalie, he has struggled against the Avs over his career.

Gustavsson is 1-6-1 against Colorado and has lost his last five. On Jan. 9, Gustavsson surrendered six goals in a 6-1 loss at home to the Avs after losing to Jared Bednar’s club twice in five days last April.

Minnesota won the first meeting at Ball Arena last month, but Fleury was in goal for that one.

READ MORE: Nichushkin’s Return Boosts Avs in Victory over New Jersey Devils