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Wild-Avalanche Preview

Dec 6, 2015 - 9:51 PM After Devan Dubnyk's exit created some anxious moments, the Minnesota Wild may now be faced with the best possible scenario regarding their injured goaltender.

Dubnyk will still miss Monday night's road game against the Colorado Avalanche, with Darcy Kuemper assigned to keep the Wild's shutout streak ongoing in the finale of this home-and-home series.

Dubnyk departed Saturday's matchup between the Central Division foes midway through the second period with what was later diagnosed to be a mild groin strain, giving the Wild hope he'll be back for either Friday at Arizona or Saturday at San Jose.

The 2015 Vezina Trophy finalist was already slated to sit out the opener of this three-game trip with his wife due to give birth to the couple's second child.

"Probably pretty good timing with the week that we have right now," coach Mike Yeo said. "There was a good chance Darcy was going to play that game (Monday) anyways. There was a good chance that Darcy would play one of those games next weekend as well."

Kuemper tuned up for what will be only his second start since Oct. 25 by making nine saves in Saturday's 3-0 victory, extending the Wild's win streak to three games and its shutout run to 154:39.

Dubnyk recorded 28 saves in Thursday's 1-0 decision over Toronto and had 30 in a 2-1 triumph at Chicago on Tuesday.

Kuemper faces an Avalanche team that's mustered only four goals over its last three and has just eight in losing six of seven to Minnesota (14-7-4) since the start of last season.

The Wild also defeated the favored Avalanche in seven games during the opening round of the 2014 playoffs, with Kuemper playing a key role. The 25-year-old posted a 2.03 goals-against average in six appearances (five starts) to help Minnesota rally from an 0-2 deficit.

Kuemper also registered consecutive shutouts against Colorado (11-15-1) last season. He had 30 saves in a 3-0 win on Oct. 11, 2014 at the Pepsi Center, where the Wild are 13-3-1 in regular-season play since 2009-10.

Minnesota continued its series success by outshooting the Avalanche 44-20 on Saturday. Matt Dumba scored for a second straight game and Jason Pominville had his third in four games after going the first 21 without one.

''They were first on pucks, they were competing better than us, they won those 1-on-1 battles better than us and they were quicker than us for some reason,'' Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. ''They played a really good game. I'd rather give them credit. Yes, we didn't play well, but these guys had a strong game."

Colorado wasted a second straight strong start from Semyon Varlamov, who appears to have overcome his early season struggles. After making 24 saves in Thursday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, he compiled a season-high 41 on Saturday.

Varlamov wasn't sharp in a 5-4 home loss to Minnesota in the Oct. 8 opener, during which Zach Parise recorded a hat trick and the Wild scored four unanswered goals in the third period.

Parise has gone nine straight, however, since scoring his last goal on Oct. 25.

Colorado's Matt Duchene has 10 goals in his last 14 games but none in 16 straight meetings with Minnesota including the playoffs. He's been held without a point in each of the last seven matchups.