There was no Thanksgiving turkey for the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, but surely a few players had o’l chick pea rotini.
The Colorado Avalanche square off against Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild for their first meeting of the season, with both clubs entering on significant win streaks. Colorado has won its last 10 games, while Minnesota has taken its past six. The statistic that truly separates the two, however, is Colorado’s staggering +44 goal differential, a figure that octuples the Wild’s modest +5. It is an almost unbelievable gap, especially in light of Minnesota’s recent surge.
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The Avalanche enter the night on a remarkable 10-game winning streak, bolstered by an equally stunning run of three consecutive shutouts. Inevitably, that defensive wall will crack—no team can keep opponents off the board forever—but Colorado’s current form has made it look possible. Scott Wedgewood will likely get the start in today’s game as he looks to pick up his second straight shutout.
On the Minnesota side, the stars have held up their end. Kirill Kaprizov, fresh off an eight-year, $136 million extension—the richest contract in franchise history—has delivered 14 goals and 14 assists through 28 games. Furthermore, he scored the OT winner on Wednesday night against the Blackhawks to give the Wild a 4-3 win. Remarkably, his fellow winger Matt Boldy has matched him point for point, providing the Wild with a potent one-two punch heading into this matchup.
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A one two punch is impressive, but a one two three four five six punch is something only a select few fighters in history could deliver. In hockey terms, the Avalanche embody that level of depth. Colorado’s marquee trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas and Cale Makar has combined for 99 points this season, placing all three comfortably among the NHL’s top scorers. By comparison, the Wild’s leading producers have totaled 68 points, a respectable figure in its own right, yet one that underscores the reality that this Avalanche roster operates on an entirely different level.
Joel Kiviranta returned to the lineup after missing 17 games with a lower body injury, while Ivan Ivan was summoned to fill in for the injured Gavin Brindley. The two combined for a goal against San Jose, raising the question of whether Ivan’s contribution might earn him an extra game.
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Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Ross Colton
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
Ivan Ivan — Zakhar Bardakov — Joel Kiviranta
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski
Goalies (Likely)
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
After a sluggish start to the season, in which the Wild went 4-5-3 in October, Minnesota has begun to resemble the team many anticipated on opening night. The club is 10-1-1 this month and has secured victories over formidable opponents including the Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Islanders. Now the Wild face their sternest challenge yet in the Colorado Avalanche. Expect a fast-paced contest from the opening puck drop, and for Colorado, as in recent games, the outcome may hinge on the performance of their stalwart presence between the pipes.
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Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy
Marcus Foligno — Yakov Trenin — Nico Sturm
Liam Ohgren — Ben Jones — Tyler Pitlick
Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber
Jake Middleton — Jared Spurgeon
Zeev Buium — Zach Bogosian
Avalanche vs. Wild kicks off at 1:30 p.m. local time from Grand Casino Arena.
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