Wild at Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche made one of the more dramatic improvements in league history in 2017-18, almost doubling their point total from the previous season. That was good for a playoff slot and fourth place in the top-heavy Central Division, six points behind the Minnesota Wild, who visit the Avalanche on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.
Colorado went from a league-worst 48 points in 2016-17 to 95 last season, buoyed by its stellar play at home down the stretch and its top line of Nathan MacKinnon, captain Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. "Our expectation is to make the playoffs," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I know it's very difficult to do in the Central Division, but I feel like there's no reason why we can't be where we were last year. ... We have to raise the bar." The Wild share a similar sentiment -- they have reached the playoffs for the past six seasons but bowed out in the first round in each of the past three. "It's been pretty disappointing the way we've finished the last two seasons," Minnesota forward Zach Parise said. "We're not oblivious to that. We know we have to make something happen."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS North, FS Wisconsin (Minnesota), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE WILD (2017-18: 53-18-11, 3RD IN CENTRAL): Eric Staal has been reborn since joining Minnesota, scoring 28 goals in 2016-17 and following that up with 42 goals last season -- his highest total since 2005-06. He will join Jason Zucker (career-best 33 goals) and Mikael Granlund on the No. 1 line while a healthy Zach Parise will be alongside Nino Niederreiter and captain Mikko Koivu. Defenseman Ryan Suter missed the playoffs with a broken ankle after tying his career high with 51 points and is joined on the blue line by another 50-point scorer in Matt Dumba. Devan Dubnyk has registered 20 of his 29 career shutouts in 3 1/2 seasons with Minnesota.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (2017-18: 53-18-11, 4TH IN CENTRAL): MacKinnon finally lived up to the promise that led Colorado to draft him No. 1 overall in 2013, finishing fifth in the league with 97 points and netting 39 goals. Rantanen and Landeskog added 29 and 25 goals, respectively, so it's paramount that the Avalanche receive production from second-year forwards Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Jost, who are expected to be paired with Colin Wilson. Defenseman Tyson Barrie had a career-best 57 points for Colorado, which added stability in net with the acquisition of Philipp Grubauer. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled to stay healthy, missing the playoffs last season.
OVERTIME
1. MacKinnon torched the Wild for four goals and nine points in four games last season.
2. Parise scored 12 goals in the final 18 games last season.
3. Colorado outscored Minnesota 19-4 in winning the last three meetings.