NHL: COLORADO (4-3) at MINNESOTA (6-1) <h3>Wild look to stay perfect at home vs. rival Avalanche</h3> <div class="pre">Colorado (4-3-0) at Minnesota (6-0-1) 7:00 pm EDT</div> <div class="pre">ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) - The Minnesota Wild will look to</div>stay unbeaten at home when they host their Northwest Divisionrival Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. Minnesota, which has won its first three games here this season,is the only team in the league yet to lose in regulation. Chances are that will remain the case, considering the Wild havebeen nearly unbeatable here. Minnesota posted 29 home wins aseason ago, good for second in the league, and has won sixstraight at the Excel Energy Center dating to last season. Eric Belanger, who signed with the Wild as a free agent, scoreda goal and added an assist in Saturday's 3-1 win over St. Louis. One of the reasons Minnesota is off to a great start this seasonis the play of goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who has a 1.38goals-against average. In addition to that, Backstrom is 3-0-0with a 0.67 GAA at home as well as 3-0-1 with a 2.16 GAA in fourgames vs. the Avalanche. He should be fresh after watching backup netminder Josh Hardingstop 33 shots in Saturday's win. The Wild's home dominance should continue against Colorado,which is winless in three road games this season. The Avalanchehave not lost four straight road games since 1991-92, when thefranchise located in Quebec. Colorado went 4-2-2 against Minnesota last season.
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL AT MINNESOTA STARTING GOALIES: COL - PETER BUDAJ MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM OFFICIALS: REF - CHRIS ROONEY, DON VAN MASSENHOVEN LIN - LYLE SEITZ, MIKE CVIK</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">COLORADO VS MINNESOTA - SCRATCHES COLORADO MINNESOTA M HEJDUK BACK INJURY K CARNEY HEALTHY K SKRASTINS HEALTHY D BOOGAARD HEALTHY D MOORE HEALTHY</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- COLORADO 0 0 MINNESOTA 0 0 END OF THE 1ST GOAL SCORING: 1ST PRD: NONE SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- COL 13 13 MIN 7 7 GOALIES: COL - PETER BUDAJ MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">------------------------ Colorado 0 --0 Minnesota 0 --0 ------------------------ FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: B Burns, Min (slashing), 5:58; M Parrish, Min (hooking), 9:32; T Arnason, Col (hooking), 11:04; B Burns, Min (interference), 16:08; B Rolston, Min (slashing), 19:42. Shots on goal: ----------------------------- Colorado 13 --13 Minnesota 7 --7 ----------------------------- Goalies : Colorado, Peter Budaj (7 shots, 7 saves). Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (13 shots, 13 saves). Referees: Chris Rooney, Don Van Massenhoven. Linesmen: Lyle Seitz, Mike Cvik.</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL COLORADO 0 MINNESOTA 1 2ND PRD: MIN - (PP) MARK PARRISH 2 (MARIAN GABORIK, PAVOL DEMITRA) 5:20</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL COLORADO 0 MINNESOTA 2 2ND PRD: MIN - (PP) BRIAN ROLSTON 3 (KURTIS FOSTER, PAVOL DEMITRA) 7:22 (TWO-MAN ADVANTAGE)</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL COLORADO 1 MINNESOTA 2 2ND PRD: COL - (PP) TYLER ARNASON 1 (MAREK SVATOS, JOE SAKIC) 11:38</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL COLORADO 2 MINNESOTA 2 2ND PRD: COL - ANDREW BRUNETTE 2 (KURT SAUER, WOJTEK WOLSKI) 13:49</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 2ND 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- COLORADO 0 2 2 MINNESOTA 0 2 2 END OF THE 2ND GOAL SCORING: 1ST PRD: NONE 2ND PRD: MIN - (PP) MARK PARRISH 2 (MARIAN GABORIK, PAVOL DEMITRA) 5:20 MIN - (PP) BRIAN ROLSTON 3 (KURTIS FOSTER, PAVOL DEMITRA) 7:22 COL - (PP) TYLER ARNASON 1 (MAREK SVATOS, JOE SAKIC) 11:38 COL - ANDREW BRUNETTE 2 (KURT SAUER, WOJTEK WOLSKI) 13:49 SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL --- --- --- ----- COL 13 9 22 MIN 7 15 22 GOALIES: COL - PETER BUDAJ MIN - NIKLAS BACKSTROM</div>
NHL: COLORADO at MINNESOTA <div class="pre">------------------------------ Colorado 0 2 --2 Minnesota 0 2 --2 ------------------------------ FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: B Burns, Min (slashing), 5:58; M Parrish, Min (hooking), 9:32; T Arnason, Col (hooking), 11:04; B Burns, Min (interference), 16:08; B Rolston, Min (slashing), 19:42. SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Minnesota, Mark Parrish 2 (power play) (Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra), 5:20. 2, Minnesota, Brian Rolston 3 (power play) (Kurtis Foster, Pavol Demitra), 7:22. 3, Colorado, Tyler Arnason 1 (power play) (Marek Svatos, Joe Sakic), 11:38. 4, Colorado, Andrew Brunette 2 (Kurt Sauer, Wojtek Wolski), 13:49. Penalties: J Leopold, Col (holding), 4:30; J Leopold, Col (tripping), 5:58; J Hlinka, Col (hooking), 6:29; M Koivu, Min (hooking), 10:03; J Leopold, Col (holding), 18:08. Shots on goal: ---------------------------------- Colorado 13 9 --22 Minnesota 7 15 --22 ---------------------------------- Goalies : Colorado, Peter Budaj (22 shots, 20 saves). Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (22 shots, 20 saves). Referees: Chris Rooney, Don Van Massenhoven. Linesmen: Lyle Seitz, Mike Cvik.</div>
