Task gets tougher to contain Avs lines

By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Last update: April 8, 2008 - 1:08 AM

The Wild knew it would have a hard time containing Colorado's talented group of forwards. That job only got harder with the news of defenseman Nick Schultz's appendectomy.

A series against Calgary would have been physically tougher, but the Avalanche has more scoring depth than the Flames. There is Joe Sakic, who has 36 career points in 40 games vs. the Wild; former Wild player Andrew Brunette, a master in the corners and behind the net; and Peter Forsberg, who appears to be rounding into top form in (depending on your view) either the best or worst possible time.

And don't forget Milan Hej- duk, Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny. Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said the Avalanche is right up there with Detroit when it comes to moving the puck.

"A lot of skills in the offensive zone," Lemaire said after Monday's practice. "And they're good at making passes. They don't telegraph. They make quick passes that sometimes surprise you. We'll have to be very alert."

On Sunday the Colorado forwards were hard to catch in the Wild's defensive zone. One thing the Avs do very well is work beneath the goal line. Lemaire said they do this better than any team.

"When you have good hands you can play there," he said. "If you don't have good hands behind the goalie, behind the net, it's hard, because you get a lot of sticks that come at you. But when you have good hands, you make things happen."

After practice Lemaire said Petteri Nummelin -- who played his first game since March 2 on Sunday -- could get playoff minutes because of his quickness. Now it appears Nummelin will be needed for significant minutes. And he'll be part of a thin defensive corps that will be asked to do a hefty job.

"They're so good at making little passes and causing confusion," defenseman Brent Burns said. "It will be tough."

TV update

KSTC (Ch. 45) will have a one-hour pregame show at 7 p.m. Wednesday before its coverage of the first game. KSTC is scheduled to air four games of the series, if it goes the distance, and FSN North will have Games 2, 4 and 6, if necessary.

With FSN picking up Friday's game, the network no longer will air the Twins-Royals game that night; FSN will replace that telecast with the Twins-Yankees on Aug. 13. FSN remains scheduled to show the Twins-Tigers at 6 p.m. April 15 and will follow that with the Wild game. All of FSN's telecasts will be shown in high definition; KSTC's will not. Any Wild-Colorado games aired on the Versus Network will be blacked out in the Twin Cities.

Etc.

• Lemaire tried to downplay the potential for physical play in the series. "How much are you going to need the size against Colorado?" he asked in response to questions about bruisers Derek Boogaard, Chris Simon and Todd Fedoruk.

• Does that mean a potential lineup opening for Mark Parrish? Lemaire said he hadn't decided.

Staff writer Judd Zulgad contributed to this report.

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