Colorado Avalanche Keys vs a Hot Minnesota

The Colorado Avalanche must find strength within themselves to beat the Minnesota Wild. Getting the first goal and great goal tending will help, too.

The Colorado Avalanche are in the exact opposite boat as the Minnesota Wild. The Avs, who by their own admission are in a fragile state after losing four of the last five, are facing a Wild team on a seven-game winning streak.

Colorado’s woes are many. They are dead-last in the NHL, facing a humiliating four points to equal the cap-floor Arizona Coyotes. Minnesota, on the other hand, is in second place in the Central Division. The Avalanche have a -32 goal differential, while the Wild’s is +29.

Let’s not focus on that, though. Tonight the Colorado Avalanche face the team we Avs fans all hate the most, the Minnesota Wild. Let’s look at how the Avs can crush them.

First Goal

Even though the Colorado Avalanche did it last time they were in Xcel Energy Center, coming from behind is nearly impossible against Minnesota. The Wild close ranks as soon as they have a lead and will gladly play to a 1-0 win on a goal they scored in the first — how do you think their goal differential is so high?

Therefore, the Avalanche need to shoot themselves out of a cannon to start the game. They need to come out fast and furious — maybe they could pretend it’s the last minutes of a game.

Rejuvenated Goal Tending

More from Mile High Sticking

I wish Calvin Pickard had done better during his brief stint as the starting net minder when Semyon Varlamov was injured. Unfortunately he went 0-3-0. It wasn’t his fault — he got no support in front — but that record gives Jared Bednar a convenient reason to keep him as back up.

In any case, Varlamov’s groin is healed, for now at least. He’s rested and back in shape. He’s got to play like a maniac against Minnesota. Colorado has had trouble scoring. If they get that first goal, there’s no guaranteeing there are more forthcoming. (They scored just five in the last three games.)

Swagger

Everyone from young captain Gabriel Landeskog to veteran Jarome Iginla acknowledges the Colorado Avalanche lack confidence right now. As Iginla — who’s not exactly a shrinking violet — explains it, when a break doesn’t go their way, “We’re probably a bit fragile.”

If there’s no crying in baseball, there sure as heck isn’t any room for fragility in hockey. And that goes double when you’re playing against a team that proclaims itself to be from “The State of Hockey.”

The Colorado Avalanche play best when they have a chip on their shoulders. I daresay they need more than just confidence tonight — they need to play with all-out swagger.

They can take confidence from the fact that they’ve already beaten Minnesota twice this season, including in Xcel Energy Center after giving up a lead. It’s time for the Colorado Avalanche to become the bane of Minnesota’s existence.

After all, it shouldn’t be hot in Minnesota in December. Time to cool it down by beating the Wild.