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Wild try to boost playoff hopes in home test vs. Avs

Mar 8, 2011 - 4:11 PM (Sports Network) - Just two points back of a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild conclude their regular-season series against the struggling Colorado Avalanche this evening at Xcel Energy Center.

With 75 points, the Wild sit two behind the Kings for the eighth spot in the conference, but are also just five back of the fourth-place Blackhawks despite losing three of their last four games. Minnesota did earn a point last time out, falling 3-2 to Buffalo in overtime on Sunday.

Jose Theodore made 30 saves, but couldn't come up with a stop on Drew Stafford's game-winner for the Sabres just 46 seconds into the frame. Warren Peters and Marek Zidlicky both scored second-period goals.

"I really liked the way we played the second period," said Minnesota head coach Todd Richards. "I thought we controlled the majority of the period. It was a good third period and then a great individual effort from Stafford in overtime won it for them."

Cal Clutterbuck missed Sunday's game due to an upper-body injury and is unlikely to play tonight, while Andrew Brunette is questionable due to illness that held him out of practice on Monday.

Minnesota is also anticipating future returns by captain Mikko Koivu and Guillaume Latendresse. Koivu has sat out the last eight games with a broken finger and his return date is unknown, but he did practice on Monday, while Latendresse has been out since Oct. 25 because of a sports hernia and hip surgery. Both skaters could come back during Minnesota's upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Thursday in Nashville.

Niklas Backstrom is expected to get the call tonight for the Wild in net and he is an excellent 16-4-2 with a 2.29 goals-against average in his career against the Avalanche.

Minnesota has won three of five versus Colorado this year and nine of the past 12 meetings overall. The Wild's 3-2 home win on Feb. 9 over the Avalanche was their 10th in the last 13 played at Xcel Energy Center in this series.

The Wild will look to take advantage of the Avs' recent slide as they try to better their playoff chances. Colorado, meanwhile, has slipped all the way to 14th in the West thanks to losses in five straight and 15 of the past 16 games.

The Avalanche are just six points up on the Oilers for last in the West after Edmonton recorded a 5-1 triumph in Colorado on Saturday. Ryan O'Reilly had the lone goal and Brian Elliott yielded four goals on 19 shots before being replaced by Peter Budaj.

"We have to keep working on it," said Colorado defenseman Adam Foote, who returned after missing 11 games with a leg injury. "We have to keep talking, keep battling until it changes. It's all right here in this room. When things are going well it's easy. When it's not, it's easy to criticize and easy to get down."

Colorado was without Ryan Stoa after he had an appendectomy on Friday, but is expected to get blueliner Ryan O'Byrne back this evening for the first time in five games. O'Bryne has been out since suffering a facial laceration on Feb. 23 that required about 100 stitches to close.

The Avalanche will play five of their next six on the road and have lost three straight and eight of their last nine as the guest.

Budaj is expected to get the start tonight and is 9-9-3 with a 2.56 GAA versus the Wild.