wild gameday
8:30 p.m. at Colorado • Pepsi Center • FSN, 100.3-FM
Preview: With Monday's 5-2 home victory over Colorado, the Wild forced its third Game 7 in franchise history. It is 2-0 with both coming in 2003, including one against Colorado that ended Avalanche coach Patrick Roy's goaltending career. The home team has won all six games in the series. The Wild is 8-5 in playoff elimination games.
Players to watch: Wild G Darcy Kuemper has the second-best goals-against average in the NHL (1.53) and fourth-best save percentage (.934). C Mikael Granlund and RW Jason Pominville each have points in four consecutive games. LW Zach Parise became the first player to tally four points in an elimination game Monday since Chicago's Duncan Keith against Vancouver in 2011. Avs C Matt Duchene had an assist in his first game in a month Monday. C Paul Stastny is third in the NHL with nine points in the playoffs.
Numbers: For the Wild, Parise has played in two Game 7s and Pominville, Dany Heatley and Cody McCormick one each. For Colorado, Max Talbot has played in four and Semyon Varlamov three. … Thirteen of 19 playoff meetings between Minnesota and Colorado have been decided by one goal, including 12 of the past 15. … The Wild's penalty kill ranks second in the NHL at 90.9 percent; Colorado's power play ranks 15th at 9.1 percent. … The Wild has allowed two shorthanded goals.
Injuries: Wild G Josh Harding (multiple sclerosis), G Niklas Backstrom (abdominal surgery), LW Matt Cooke (suspended) and LW Jason Zucker (quadriceps) are out. Avalanche D Tyson Barrie (knee), C John Mitchell (concussion) and LW Alex Tanguay (hip) are out.
MICHAEL RUSSO
