Colorado Avalanche will host Minnesota Wild on the NHL 2021-22 action on Monday afternoon. The home side has played very well lately, and they look forward to continuing in the same fashion. The visitors are on the right track to the playoffs, and they want to stay in the top four.
Colorado has been one of the NHL’s best teams lately, and they want to build up on their recent displays. The hosts’ confidence is on the rise, and they want to keep it that way. On the other hand, Minnesota searches for the post-season ticket, and they are in a good position to accomplish their goals.
Colorado Avalanche – Will they continue the winning streak?
The Avalanche have played excellent hockey lately, as the home side lost only once on the previous eight occasions. That streak launched them to the top of the Central Division with a 24-8-3 record while having four more games in hand than the Predators. Colorado goes to this clash after a double victory over the Coyotes. Although they needed to go through the penalty shootout on the home ice, they were more confident on the road. Darcy Kuemper managed to keep the clean sheet, while Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen led the Avs to the victory with two goals and an assist each.
Nazem Kadri leads Colorado’s offense with 49 points, including a team-high 35 assists. Mikko Rantanen tops the Avs’ scorers list with 19 goals, while he has contributed with 44 points. Nathan MacKinnon has produced 38 points, while Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog chipped in with 36 points each. On the goal, Darcy Kuemper has a solid .908 save percentage, allowing 2.74 goals per contest. He took place between the pipes 25 times, and Colorado booked 17 wins with Kuemper on the goal.
Expected Line-Up: Darcy Kuemper, Samuel Girard, Cale Makar, Andre Burakovsky, Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen
with best odds
Minnesota Wild – Can they book another important win?
The Wild also enjoy a very good campaign, as they sit in 4th place in the Central Division with a 22-10-2 record. They are seven points ahead of the Jets, while the third-placed Blues are just three points ahead. Minnesota has been on a solid streak, winning three times in a row. The latest one came against the Ducks at home when the Wild celebrated 7-3. Kaapo Kahkonen had an excellent time between the pipes, having a .929 save percentage and saving 39 of the opponent’s 42 shots. On the other hand, Mats Zuccarello led the Wild to success with a brace and an assist.
Kirill Kaprizov is the most productive player in Minnesota’s offense with 42 points while being the best assistant with 28. Ryan Hartman tops the goalscoring charts with 16 goals, while he has contributed with 30 points, the same as Mats Zuccarello. Four other skaters have chipped in with 20+ points, including Marcus Foligno, who scored 14 goals. On the other hand, Cam Talbot has spent most of the time on the goal for Minnesota. He made 24 appearances, conceding three goals per contest and having a .909 save percentage. Kaapo Kahkonen has allowed 2.56 goals per match on 11 appearances, stopping 91.7% of the opponent’s shots.
Expected Line-Up: Kaapo Kahkonen, Matt Dumba, Jordie Benn, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, Kirill Kaprizov
Expert Pick #1 – Colorado Avalanche -1.5 @+110
Colorado has been on a hot run lately, and I expect them to keep up where they left off. Although Minnesota is a tricky opponent, the home side should celebrate a comfortable victory here, and I’ll take them on the puck line market. That’s going to be my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 6.5 @-120
The Avs top the NHL’s offensive charts, and six of their last seven matches went over the margin. The Over cashed 13 times in the Wild’s previous 19 games, and it’s reasonable to expect a high number of goals here as well. Give me the Over as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Avalanche to Score in each Period @+155
Colorado has a strong attacking potential, and they should dictate the tempo in this match. I believe they can find the back of the net in each period, and the plus money odds are pretty attractive. I’ll back this one as my third pick.
