It'll be tough for the Wild to stay on the torrid pace it's put pucks in the net recently, with 11 goals coming in its last two games.

But to try to maintain its rhythm in the offensive zone, its objective is clear Saturday against the Avalanche.

Keep getting shots on goal.

"I think it's evident in the games that we score we're shooting a lot, and the ones that we don't we're not," winger Daniel Winnik said. "Every team against us just shoots from everywhere, and that's how goals are created. Shots create confusion in the 'D' zone, so it opens things up."

The Wild racked up a season-high 41 shots Tuesday against the Panthers en route to a 5-1 win and while it's output dipped to 27 in the 6-2 victory Thursday over the Sabres, it still got enough pucks to the net with traffic.

"I know if I was a player, I'd be shooting all the time," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "The tendency for this team I guess the last five or six years is when things are going good, you try to get a little too cute. But just gotta keep going at it and shooting the puck, getting to the net, because that's how you score."

Associated Press, Star Tribune

Better production could help the team rectify its road woes of late, as the Wild has dropped three in a row away from home. In all three of those games, the Wild was ahead or tied going into the third – positioning that period as the one that needs the most improvement on the road.

"Hopefully tonight will be a different outcome," Boudreau said.

Projected lineup:

Nino Niederreiter-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund

Jason Zucker-Eric Staal-Tyler Ennis

Zach Parise-Charlie Coyle-Joel Eriksson Ek

Marcus Foligno-Matt Cullen-Daniel Winnik

Ryan Suter- Jared Spurgeon

Jonas Brodin-Matt Dumba

Gustav Olofsson-Nate Prosser

Devan Dubnyk

Key numbers:

4: Consecutive wins for the Wild over the Avalanche.

11-2-1: Goalie Devan Dubnyk's record since Nov.9.

38: Points in 58 career games against Colorado for center Matt Cullen – his most points against any NHL team.

4-1: The Avalanche's record on its six-game homestand, which concludes tonight.

41: Points in center Nathan MacKinnon's last 29 games.

About the Avalanche:

The Avalanche are just two points behind the Wild, as the team's been on a roll lately amid a four-game win streak. During that run, Colorado has defeated Toronto, the New York Islanders, Winnipeg and Columbus. MacKinnon has been on a tear of late, posting nine points in his last four games. Goalie Jonathan Bernier, playing while Semyon Varlamov is sidelined with injury, is 3-0 in his last there games with a 1.20 goals-against average and .965 save percentage. The Avalanche is 14-7-1 on home ice.