Preview: Wild at Avalanche

DENVER, Colo. -- The Minnesota Wild will play the Colorado Avalanche tonight at Ball Arena following the trade deadline this afternoon.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Friday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado)
• Watch: Bally Sports North
• Listen: KFAN 100.3 FM
• Gamecenter: Wild at Avs

Wild Record: 30-27-6, 66 points, 6th in Central Division

Avalanche Record: 39-20-5, 83 points, T-2nd in Central Division

2023-24 Series Record: 0-1-0

Wild vs. Avs All-Time Record: 59-51-12 (26-27-7 at Colorado)

Last Time Out

The Wild downed the Arizona Coyotes, 5-2, last night at Mullett Arena. F Mats Zuccarello (0-3=3) paced Minnesota with three points while F Joel Eriksson Ek (1-1=2), F Ryan Hartman (0-2=2) and D Brock Faber (1-1=2) recorded two points each. Forwards Kirill Kaprizov (1-0=1) and Connor Dewar (1-0=1) and D Zach Bogosian (1-0=1) also netted goals for the Wild. G Marc-Andre Fleury saved 23-of-25 shots faced for a .920 SV%.

The Avalanche defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 7-2, at Ball Arena on Wednesday (3/6). D Cale Makar (3-1=4) recorded his first NHL hat trick while forwards Nathan MacKinnon (1-3=4) and Mikko Rantanen (0-4=4) also recorded four-point games. Forwards Jonathan Drouin (1-1=2), Artturi Lehkonen (1-0=1) and Jean-Luc Foudy (1-0=1) also scored for Colorado. G Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27-of-29 shots faced in the win for a .931 SV%.

Previously on Wild vs. Avalanche

Colorado won the series-opening game, 3-2, at Xcel Energy Center (11/24).

Kaprizov led Minnesota with two points (1-1=2). Eriksson Ek also scored for the Wild (1-0=1). G Filip Gustavsson saved 22-of-25 shots faced for the Wild.

F Ross Colton (1-0=1), D Kurtis MacDermid (1-0=1) and F Valeri Nichushkin (1-0=1) each scored for the Avalanche. Georgiev saved 19-of-21 shots faced to earn the win for Colorado.

Players to Watch

• Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 67 points (30-37=67) and 30 goals this season and has 43 points (22-21=43) and a plus-13 rating in his last 29 games played
• F Marco Rossi, among NHL rookies, is T-1st in goals (17) and GWG (two), and third in shots on goal (129) and points (17-16=33)
• F Matt Boldy has 16 points (7-9=16) in his last 14 games
• MacKinnon (40-69=109) leads the NHL in points, is second in assists, fourth in goals and has recorded 24 points (8-16=24) in 11 straight games
  • MacKinnon also owns a 31-game point streak at home this season
• Rantanen (31-52=83) is eighth in the league in points, T-8th in assists, is second on his team in points and owns 13 points (2-11=13) in eight consecutive games
• Makar (17-53=70) is sixth in the NHL in assists, second on Colorado in assists, third in points, fourth in goals and has recorded 10 points (4-6=10) in six games

Recent Transactions

The Minnesota Wild traded F Brandon Duhaime to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (3/7).

To view more recent transactions, visit wild.com/transactions.

To view Minnesota's full Injury Report, visit wild.com/injury.

Connections

• Wild Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson skated in 20 games with Colorado in 2003-04
• F Brandon Duhaime was selected by the Wild in the fourth-round (106th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft and skated in 193 career games across three seasons for Minnesota (2021-24), collecting 35 points (19-16=35)
• F Zach Parise is a native of Minneapolis and skated in 558 games over nine seasons (2012-21) for Minnesota, recording 400 points (199-201=400)
• D Jack Ahcan is from Savage and played collegiately at St. Cloud State (2016-20)

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has 59 wins and 130 points against Colorado alltime, second-most against any franchise
• Minnesota defeated Colorado in seven games in the 2003 First Round and the 2014 First Round
• The Avalanche won the 2008 First Round series in six games

Game Notes

For more information on tonight's tilt, check out the game notes below.