Avalanche vs Wild Pick: Saturday, January 30th

By Jimmy The Bag Jan 30, 2021

Avalanche vs Wild Pick: Saturday, January 30th: We got a glimpse at how good this Colorado hockey team can be when they outscored the Sharks 10-3 in their just finished 2 games set at home vs San Jose. The Avs moved Gabriel Landeskog back with Mackinnon and Rantanen and I like the move, since these guys know each other well. Only Boston’s ‘perfection line’ is at this level. The Avs moved Burakovsky back to the 2nd line with Saad and Kadri. I love the 3rd line of Nichushkin, Compher, and Donskoi. What else can I say about defensemen Cale Makar that I already haven’t? I get giddy when I talk about him. This team makes me want to play Xbox. Makar will undoubtedly hold the Stanley Cup over his head one day. You add #4 overall pick in the 2019 draft Bowen Byram from my hometown Vancouver Giants and place him on the 2nd unit with Samuel Girard, I can just imagine this defense in 2 years. This team will win multiple cups. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will be out for an undetermined period with a lower-body injury Bellemare was playing center on the fourth line with left-wing Tyson Jost and right-wing Kiefer Sherwood, and he also was killing penalties. Sherwood has replaced Matt Calvert, who has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury and is out indefinitely, but it doesn’t matter, this team is deep as the ocean baby.

The Wild snapped their 2 game losing streak with a 5-3 win at home over the Kings. They went 2-2 at home against bottom feeders LA and San Jose. This team needs a healthy Mats Zuccarello to give them some offense. The center with their highest Corsi rating is Nick Bonino who center’s the 4th line. 1st line center Nick Bjugstad is rated as the 95th best center icemen in the NHL. Their 2nd line center Joel Ericsson is rated as the 100th best center in the NHL. Their defense is strong, and I think Jared Spurgeon is underrated and he makes a nice pairing with Ryan Suter. I like the 2nd unit of Brodin and Dumba. While there will be times I will back this team as a dog, this isn’t one of them.

Avalanche vs Wild Odds

The Avs come into Saturday sitting 2nd in the NHL’s West division, having won 4 of their first 8 games in regulation, with 1 OT win, they are riding a 2 game winning streak, and have managed to outscore their opponents by +1.25 goals per game so far this season. Meanwhile, the Wild are not too far off, having won 3 of their first 8 in regulation, with 2 OT wins. The Wild have outscored their opponents by a half goal per game, and are currently sitting with a goal differential of +4.