Minnesota Wild will host the Winnipeg Jets in a regular NHL season match today.
The Colorado Avalanche are putting up impressive figures this season with an overall score of 48-24-6, yielding 102 points. This solidifies their spot in the Central Division where they sit second, just 5 points shy of the leading Dallas Stars. They're itching for their final face-off with them this season, which could prove pivotal in the division race. Key player Nathan MacKinnon continues to produce stand-out performances, netting 2 and assisting twice. Though they've suffered a 4:7 hit from Dallas and a two-match losing streak, they remain a strong contender in the West, with a scoreline of 5-4-1 from their past 10 matches.
MacKinnon put on a show in March, with 11 goals and 16 assists. Cale Makar in his stride is contributing significantly to the team's success, supporting both defensive and offensive lines. Goalkeeper Alexandar Georgiev is holding his own with a save percentage of 89.9 and a goalie average of 2.96. Colorado is firm in their playoff stance, hoping to bolster it further through the remaining regular championship matches.
Sixth-placed in the Central Division and tenth in the West with a scoreline of 37-31-9 and 83 points, Minnesota is heading to Colorado after a resounding 4:0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The "Wild" lag 9 points behind the Vegas Golden Knights and 10 from the Los Angeles Kings, grappling with issues in their playoff pursuit, having lost 4 out of the last 6 matches. The recent results, including a defeat from the Colorado Avalanche 2:5, have made the playoff scrabble more complex.
Kirill Kaprizov continues to turn heads, scoring two in the last match and one assist, meaning his scoring streak carries on for 7 matches. His staggering contribution with 41 goals and 48 assists indicates he's a key player in the attack. Goalie Filip Gustavsson, with a current seasonal record of 19-17-4, shows volatility with 3.07 goals against average, and a 90% save percentage. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury just might make an appearance in the next match. The upcoming home game against Winnipeg wraps up the series, after which Minnesota faces a tough itinerary away.
In the last 5 encounters between Minnesota and Colorado, the Avalanche claimed victory in 3 matches. On the 5th of April 2024, Colorado defeated Minnesota 5:2. On the 9th of March, Colorado came out on top in overtime with a 2:1 score. On the 25th of November, Minnesota claimed victory with a score of 3:2. On September 29, Minnesota triumphed with a score of 4:2, before that Colorado was stronger with a 4:3 win.
The teams are on different skill levels now, Colorado, even without Rantanen, could easily defeat Minnesota at home, who are losing playoff chances and are far from top form. My bet's on a victory for Nichushkin’s and MacKinnon's team.
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