Denver, CO – The Minnesota Wild buried the Avalanche with a huge performance by Niklas Backstrom and a game winner from Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Things did not start out so promising from a very raucous Pepsi Center crowd. The Avalanche refused to go away on a goal by former Minnesota Wild, Andrew Brunette, at 4:41 of the first. After a scoreless second, things got rowdy in the third as Mikko Koivu stuck a tally by Jose Theodore at 7:13. It would be Minnesota tallying their second goal of the period (Brian Rolston, 11:32), quieting a very noisy Pepsi Center. A Minnesota killer, #19 Joe Sakic, struck giving us a game tie at 14:56 of the third. The backbone of the Wild, as Niklas Backstrom stood tall on his head. Enter in Minnesota’s Bouchard at 11:58 into OT, silencing the Avalanche backers and giving Minnesota a 2-1 lead on the series. Game 4 is tonight at the Pepsi Center. You can bet the Avalanche will come out with guns blazing, as one of the funnest rivalries in all of hockey continues.
