The Minnesota Wild tie up the best of 7 series at 2 with a dominating performance against the Avalanche. The Wild were clearly the better team the entire game. Game 5 Saturday in Denver.
Game over. Wild win it 2-1.
Third Period 2:14. Avalanche to the power play, Brodin off for hooking.
Third Period 2:35. Varlamov off for the extra attacker!
Third Period 5:41. McGinn off for tripping. Wild on the power play.
Third Period 9:45. Not much change half way through the third. Wild still controlling the play and Varlamov still keeping the Avalanche in the game. Wild just have to keep doing what they are doing. Avalanche need to pick up the play.
Third Period 16:31. Wild absolutely owning the face off circles!!
Third Period 18:25. Stoner takes a holding penalty. Avalanche to the power play.
Third Period 20:00. Start of the Third Period.
End of the Second. Minnesota still controlling things that period as both teams trade goals. Avalanche cannot come out in the third soft they must attack and attack hard. They have one goal so they know they can score on the Wild.
Second Period 1:57. Varlamov absolutely keeping the Avalanche in this game!!!
Second Period 3:37. Stastney called for cross checking. Wild with another power play.
Second Period 3:55. Avalanche starting to get some offense going, still have a lot of work to do. O'Reilly's goal to finally put one past Kuemper needs to motivate the Avalanche.
Second Period 6:35. Ryan O'Reilly puts the Avalanche on the board 2-1 Wild.
Second Period 7:03. Charlie Coyle power play goal. 2-0 Wild.
Second Period 7:40. Landeskog takes a tripping minor. Wild on the power play.
Second Period 9:25. Avalanche at this point only have 5 shots on goal. Not going to be a very competitive game if this keeps up.
Second Period 15:17. Suter off for hooking, Avalanche to the power play.
Second Period 17:02. Things pretty even to start the second.
Second Period 20:00. Start of the Second Period.
End of the First. Wild won that period. Avalanche need to get a spark from someone Stastney, Landeskog, MacKinnon, or O'Reilly. One of their stars needs to pick it up and get their team back in it. The one bright spot for the Avalanche in the period was Varlamov. He was incredible.
First Period 5:29. Avalanche being completely out played by the Wild.
First Period 8:16. Guenin to the box. Wild on the power play.
First Period 11:20. Varlamov is the only reason the Avalanche are in this game right now. Would be 3-0 without him in net.
First Period 13:00. Wild in complete control. Avalanche back on their heals.
First Period 15:38. Brodin called for hooking Avalanche on the power play.
First Period 16:13. Jared Spurgeon scores the opening goal and it's 1-0 Minnesota.
First Period 18:32. Wild really pushing the Play.
First Period 20:00. Game Start. Game 4 between Colorado and Minnesota is underway!
8:30. In this Game Colorado Avalanche - Minnesota Wild, the Wild will be without Matt Cooke who is serving the first game of a 7 game suspension. However, his absence should not hurt the Wild in any way. No offense to Cooke but he is not a skill player he is an enforcer and the Wild have other players that can keep up the physical play. The name of the game as far as physicality goes for the Wild is keep it clean. The officials will no doubt be keeping a close eye on both teams after Monday nights knee on knee hit that knocked Tyson Barrie out of the series and place Matt Cooke on the suspension list.
8:28. The Minnesota Wild will want to continue to put pucks on the net. It worked very well for them in game 3 and if it's not broke don't fix it. Avalanche goalie Varlamov was almost unbeatable and it took extra time to get the win but they peppered him with pucks. The Avalanche will have something to say about that so the Wild will want to really be ready for an offensive rush from Colorado to start the game. The Wild will need to keep the put in Colorado's zone again and pressure their defenseman who are down a man. They cannot let Colorado use their speed it is their greatest weapon and the Wild were able to contain it in game 3.
8:26. The Avalanche have made another line up change by adding Joey Hishon. Hishon will be making his NHL debut. Hishon is a 5 foot 10 inch 170 pound forward out of the OHL and was selected in the first round (17 overall) in the 2010 NHL entry draft by Colorado. He won the Memorial Cup with the Owen Sound Attack in 2011 and tallied 87 points in 50 games during the regular season that year. This season with the Lake Erie Monsters (Colorado's AHL Affiliate) Hishon tallied 24 points in 50 games. Clearly this is part of Roy's plan to boost the offense especially on the power play. This kid fits right in with the Avalanche style, skilled forward with speed. Hishon must really be excited to make his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The rest of the team is also excited for him, Erik Johnson said he will really help the team on the power play. Not bad praise from one of the teams stars.
8:24. With Tyson Barrie out of the line up for Colorado the rest of the Avalanche defenseman will have to step up the offensive presence. Barrie is the Avalanches best offensive defenseman. Erik Johnson will now have to take up some of that slack to make up for that loss. Ryan Wilson will be replacing Barrie in the line up but he has struggle at times this season and does not supply a very strong offensive presence on the blue line. Wilson will have to keep his game simple and not try to do to much. Just know were his man is on the ice and keep him away from the net. Sounds simple, but as every NHL defenseman will say it is easier said then done. Coach Roy has nothing but confidence that Wilson will help the team succeed in Barrie's absence.
8:22. What the Avalanche must do in this series is get their power play on track. Currently they are 1 for 11. That just will not cut it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Coach Roy plans to simplify the game plan on the power play for tonights contest and get more pucks to the net. A sound strategy even at even strength considering that Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper only faced 22 shots in game 3. Picking up the overall offensive game will be the key for the Avalanche in game 4. Colorado is a skill team not a bruising team so they must keep up the offensive pressure on their opponents if they want to be successful. The absence of number one score Matt Duchene has has taken it's toll on the Avalanche. They have adjusted well but you cannot have your top scorer out of the line up and not have an effect on the teams performance. The line of Gabriel Landeskog, Paul Statsney, and Nathan MacKinnon has be electric but they are going to need some more pressure to come from the on three forward lines to tame the Wild.
8:20. Colorado Avalanche goal tender Semyon Varlamov has had been playing very well for his team. He was a little shaky in net for them in game 1. However since then he has been absolutely sensational. Yes he gave up 2 goals in game 2 but the Wild were never really in a position to win that game. Also he did lose game three in over time, but he stopped 46 out of 47 shots. Not an extremely horrible performance for the 25 year old. For the Avalanche Varlamov needs to to change nothing, He was by far their best player on the ice in game three, probably the best player in the building for both teams. If Varlamov can have a repeat performance in game 4 the Avalanche should be able to take a strangle hold on the series with a 3-1 lead going into game 5 in Colorado.
8:18. The big story from game three is the knee on knee hit from Wild forward Matt Cooke on Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie. A hit that has knocked Barrie out of action for the next 4 to 6 weeks with and MCL injury. As well as earned Cooke a 7 game suspension from the NHL. This as been a very physical series on both sides and until game 3 it was fairly clean. Physicality in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is nothing new. Teams never want to make it easy on their opponents and finishing checks on the guy wearing the other uniform is common place. However, when a guy takes things to far, as Cooke did in this case, it takes away from what has been a very entertaining series. The Avalanche are not focusing on the fact that Barrie is out of the line-up. They are focused on retaking the momentum and winning game 4.
8:15. Colorado Avalanche - Minnesota Wild will continue their 1st round playoff series tonight at Xcel Energy Center in Game 4. The Avalanche took the first two games of the series at the Pepsi Center in Colorado April 17, 5-4 in OT and April 19 4-2. When the series shifted to Minnesota April 21 the Wild stormed back to take the game 1-0 in OT. The Wild peppered Avalanche net minder with 47 shots. The Avalanche look to retake the momentum in the series with a win tonight while the Wild look to even it up and win both of their home games just as the Avalanche did earlier in the series.