Now that the Wild trotted Wes Walz out for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals to incite an already-electric crowd with his "Let's Play Hockey" delivery, maybe the team can lure him out of retirement for Game 2.

Like the 2003 Wild-Avalanche series, the Wild could use Walz's ability to drape himself all over Colorado's two living legends, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, and its long list of players with loads of playoff experience.

The Avs' 27-man roster has 986 games of playoff experience under its belt, and the less experienced Wild must find a way to combat that if it's going to avoid falling down 2-0 in the series tonight.

"You can't give us playoff experience out of thin air," veteran Brian Rolston said. "Mentally, you have to stay composed in a series like this. We lost the first game. Put it behind us. That's one of the biggest challenges for a team that doesn't have experience.''

"We get the first win,'' Rolston added, "we get the confidence."

Veteran Pavol Demitra called tonight's game a must-win and said in order for that to happen the Wild's top players must play better. He specifically called upon himself and Marian Gaborik to step up after being neutralized Wednesday by the strong play of Colorado defensemen Adam Foote and Kurt Sauer.

"We have to play our best game and make this thing a series," Demitra said. "We don't want to be down two games. Our top guys have to do it. Obviously, we've got a lot of guys to do it, but Gabby and me want to be the guys to score goals and help this team win the game."

Coach Jacques Lemaire went a step further, saying Gaborik specifically must be better. Gaborik was limited to a single shot Wednesday.

"He's got to find a way to get more shots, more scoring chances," Lemaire said. "Or if he gets one shot, he's got to be like Sakic -- put it in."

Sakic, who scored his NHL-record eighth playoff overtime goal Wednesday, has been a thorn in the side of many teams in his illustrious career, but he has savaged the Wild especially since the team's inception.

In the regular season, his 16 goals and 38 points against the Wild are second all-time to Jarome Iginla. In the playoffs, Sakic's seven goals and 11 points are the most by any Wild opponent.

"He's one of the greats who has ever played," Rolston said. "Nothing surprises me with him. His composure is second to none."

So how do you stop Sakic and, for that matter, Forsberg, who went pointless Wednesday but is bound to produce at some point?

"You play them like anyone else," Wild forward Todd Fedoruk said. "They're human, too. You just be aware of them when they're on the ice."

Fedoruk loved the Wild's intensity Wednesday, but he said it must be more physical on Sakic and Forsberg.

"I always think you can go harder in that area," Fedoruk said. "I never think enough is enough with that part of the game."

Rolston, who played a solid, physical game Wednesday, said other skilled players must get grittier.

"We all have to go outside of our comfort level," Rolston said. "That's what it's going to take to win. When things aren't going good, you work a little harder and sacrifice a little bit more and good things will happen."

But Colorado's experience was apparent in Game 1. Lemaire said it was proven to him in the "details, the little things that were there. They know what it takes."

The biggest evidence came after the Wild roared back from a 2-0 deficit on goals by Mikko Koivu and Fedoruk early in the third period. The Avs didn't panic, instead rallying together to play their best hockey afterward.

Gaborik said the Wild could combat that "edge in experience by matching it with discipline, hard work, intensity."

Still, Lemaire was impressed with the way the Wild played. He sounded concerned that the Wild could get discouraged and not come out with the same effort tonight.

"Confidencewise, I understand we're all disappointed with the result," he said. "I just hope they'll be happy the way they played. They have to come out the same way if we want to win. If we come out the same way, it will be great."