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Avalanche look for sparks on extensive road trip

Feb 11, 2009 - 11:40 AM Colorado (25-28-1) at Minnesota (27-22-3), 8:00 p.m. EST

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- The Colorado Avalanche did not start their extensive road trip the way they had planned.

Looking to snap a two-game skid, the Avalanche continue their stretch of playing 10 of 12 contests on the road when they visit the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

Colorado is a point ahead of St. Louis, which is stuck in last place of the Western Conference, and the Avalanche failed to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to the Blues on Saturday by fizzling in a 3-0 setback to Columbus three nights later.

Meanwhile, the Wild are coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers, thanks to All-Star Niklas Backstrom.

Backstrom turned aside 28 shots in regulation and stopped all four attempts in the shootout to lift Minnesota on Sunday.

After three scoreless rounds in the bonus format, Mikko Koivu beat Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson for the game-winning goal as the Wild defeated the Oilers for the ninth straight time at the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota has won three of four overall and is 2-1-0 in its current stretch of playing seven of eight games at home.