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Adversity has chance to remedy Wild's ills

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: April 18, 2008 - 10:03 PM

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DENVER - The Wild has proven all season it's not a good front-runner.

Get a lead? Give it up. Build a six-point division cushion? Blow it in a week.

When things are going well, the Wild typically lets down, proven most recently by the team getting smoked in Game 4 when it had a chance to take a 3-1 first-round series' stranglehold on the Avalanche.

So with adversity at its highest with the Wild facing a premature offseason tonight with a loss to Colorado, perhaps the Wild never has been in better position.

At least that's coach Jacques Lemaire's hope.

"When we have the lead we don't play well. Why?" Lemaire said. "We've done this all year. Every time we're in a great situation, a great position, we don't take advantage of it.

"When we have our backs to the wall, that's when we're at our best. Hopefully it will be true again [tonight]."

That's what the Avalanche is expecting.

"By no means are they going to lay down or roll over," Colorado left winger Ryan Smyth said. "They're a desperate hockey team."

Unable to find ice to practice on in Denver, the Wild flew to town Friday afternoon and had a team off-ice workout at a downtown Denver gym.

The Wild dominated the Avalanche in Thursday's 3-2 loss at home, outshooting Colorado 40-17. Not getting rewarded after playing so well can be damaging psychologically, but the Wild reiterated that if it offers the same effort tonight, the result will change and there will be a Game 7 Monday in St. Paul.

"It's do or die, and that's a big motivator," Brian Rolston said. "We definitely want to play on. We feel good about our team here. We're playing for the Stanley Cup. We just have to give the exact same effort.

"If we win this one, we're back home."

Schultz probably out

Considering the Wild didn't practice Friday, it seemed strange that defenseman Nick Schultz (appendectomy) would make the trip unless there's a chance he might play tonight.

Asked if he could make a miracle return, Schultz, after skating in St. Paul on Friday morning, laughed and said: "I don't know. I'm just trying to do some skating and get back feeling good. I don't know. It's hard to watch because you want to be out there playing."

General Manager Doug Risebrough said he wouldn't ask Schultz or the team's medical staff if he could play until today.

Asked if Schultz could play, Lemaire said: "I don't think so. I asked [assistant coach Mario Tremblay], 'Did he play 1-on-1, have any contact [Friday morning]?' and he said no. And I said, 'I don't think he can play.' "

• Lemaire said he plans to stick with the Game 5 lineup in tonight's Game 6, especially because rookie defenseman Erik Reitz played so well. Lemaire said if one of his extras "skated really well" this morning, he might change his mind.

• If there's a Game 7 on Monday, the time has been set for 8 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.

Wild's TV ratings big

The Wild's playoff series continued to provide big rating numbers for KSTC (Ch. 45). Thursday's Game 5 loss fired a series-high 13.8 rating and 23 share in the Twin Cities. That beat all other programming in the Twin Cities for the day, including CBS' popular "CSI" (10.3/18).

A 13.8 rating means an average of 235,525 households tuned into the game. Here's a look that ratings for the series:

• Game 1: 11.3 rating, 22 share on KSTC

• Game 2: 8.1/14 share (FSN)

• Game 3: 11.2/22 (KSTC)

• Game 4: 7.3/15 (FSN)

• Game 5: 13.8/23 (KSTC)

Staff writers Jim Souhan, Kent Youngblood and Judd Zulgad, and correspondent Michael Kelly contributed to this report.

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