"Those winning experiences, you learn a lot," Duchene said when asked about the tournament.
"We have had enough losing here in Colorado, I've learned that side of it. Now it's time to win here too."
Although Duchene won't play in Tuesday's contest, two other recently returned Avalanche forwards will. Gabriel Landeskog and Carl Soderberg will both be making their preseason debuts when the puck drops against Minnesota.
Having spent the last month playing at a high level of competition, both are expected to pick up where they left off-much like Nathan MacKinnon did.
The 21-year-old forward had no problem finding his grove and fitting in with the Avs upon his arrival. He scored the first goal against the Kings on Friday, giving his team an important lead.
Center Mikhail Grigorenko notched two goals in the win as well. He leads the Avalanche and is ranked second in the NHL (tied) with three goals in two games.
The Avs have outscored their opponents 11-4 and have a perfect 14-for-14 record on the penalty kill.
Semyon Varlamov will get his second consecutive start in net.
The Wild is 2-2 in preseason play, with losses to Colorado and Winnipeg.
Tickets are still available
for purchase, and the game can be heard live on Altitude Sports Radio 950AM and at
ColoradoAvalanche.com
.
