7 p.m. vs. Colorado • BSN Plus, 100.3-FM
Wild-Colorado game preview
April 5, 2021 at 1:18AM
Health, fans return; streak remains
Preview: The Wild is back home for two games against Colorado after going 2-1-1 on the road, and the team could get closer to full strength this week. LW Zach Parise was removed from the NHL's COVID protocols on Saturday. He and F Marcus Foligno (lower-body injury) were skating at home during the Wild's last road trip. On Sunday, the team placed F Luke Johnson on waivers.
Players to watch: Wild RW Kirill Kaprizov is on a three-game goal streak, which is tied for the longest on the Wild this season. LW Jordan Greenway has a team-high 18 assists after recording three in his past four games. … Colorado G Philipp Grubauer is on an 11-0-1 run that has tied the Avalanche/Nordiques record for consecutive games (12) with a point by a goalie. LW Gabriel Landeskog has 21 points over his past 14 games.
Numbers: The Wild's 48 points through 36 games are the second most in team history. For the first time this season, the Wild will host 3,000 fans Monday at Xcel Energy Center, where the team has won 11 straight games. … Colorado has won four in a row and is on a 14-game point streak — the longest in the NHL this season; the Avalanche hasn't lost in regulation since March 8. Over his past 13 games, C Nathan MacKinnon has eight goals and 13 assists.
Injuries: Foligno has missed the past 11 games, while Parise has been out since going on the COVID list on March 24. F Mats Zuccarello sat out Saturday's game with a lower-body injury. Colorado G Pavel Francouz (lower body), Ds Bowen Byram (upper body) and Erik Johnson (upper body) and Fs Matt Calvert (upper body) and Logan O'Connor (lower body) are out.
Sarah McLellan
about the writer
Coach John Hynes called the free-agent acquisition “a reliable two-way player,” but the offensive part of his game has yet to emerge with his new team.
