A.V.A. » tered and stopped all 14 shots he faced. Ask

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nathan MacKinnon and his equally skilled Colorado linemates Gabe Landeskog and Paul Stastny were too fast for Minnesota in the first two games. In losing twice to the Avalanche, the Wild found themselves flat-footed at the wrong times and letting their young, potent opponent dictate the pace and flow. So how to change the direction of the series? Going home is a good place to start. After MacKinnon, Landeskog and Stastny combined for four goals and six assists Saturday in Game 2, the Wild will now have the benefit of the last change in Game 3. That means coach Mike Yeo can match Matt Cooke, Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter with the MacKinnon express, a mix of grit and speed that could help the Wild stem the tide a bit. "Im a third-line player for a reason and I feel like thats the best way Im able to contribute," Cooke said Sunday. He added: "Obviously I want that matchup." Here are five more things to know about the series as it shifts Monday for Game 3: WHOS IN WILD NET?: The Wild survived injury and illness involving their top three goalies this season, surging into the playoffs behind fourth option Ilya Bryzgalov. But Bryzgalov was pulled from Game 2 in the second period. Darcy Kuemper entered and stopped all 14 shots he faced. Asked after practice Sunday who will get the assignment, Yeo was glib. "Yes, we will," the coach said, smiling. Bryzgalov has plenty of past post-season experience with Philadelphia, Phoenix and Anaheim, but that includes plenty of goals given up, too. "If that were what we were choose to do it would be because, first off, he made some big saves in the game. I dont think we should forget about that. We werent playing our game in front of him. And this is a guy whos played a lot of good hockey for us," Yeo said. Kuempers performances in January and February are another reason the Wild were able to make it this far. He slumped a bit in late March and then suffered a concussion. Kuemper said he knocked the rust off in practice last week and felt in full rhythm Saturday in his first action in three weeks. "If I do get the start Im really excited. Its a big game for the team, and Im going to do my part and Im sure everyone else is going to do their part," he said. VARLY MEANS VICTORY: Semyon Varlamov led the NHL this season with a whopping 41 victories, but the Avalanche won Game 1 without a strong showing by their goalie. Varlamov was much better in Game 2. "We were a little nervous in the first game. Some of us never played in the playoffs. It was pretty tough to start. When youre nervous you sometimes try to do different things," Varlamov said. Coach Patrick Roy didnt need the relief, though. "A lot of people thought a lot about the first game but, hey, he played well enough to win," Roy said. "I had no doubt in my mind he was going to play a really solid game. He was sharp. He made the key save. I have so much confidence in him and faith in him." BACK HOME: The Wild finished 26-10-5 at Xcel Energy Center this season, the seventh-best record in the league. For fans who havent celebrated a series victory by this team since 2003, anticipation for this first home game will be high. The shift in vocal support from one side to the other always has the potential to impact a playoff series. "You can feel it, just the atmosphere, when you walk into that rink," Yeo said. OLD PALS: MacKinnon, like many NHL stars, spent two years at Minnesota prep school Shattuck St. Marys, which is in Faribault about 50 miles south of St. Paul. MacKinnon said several of his friends from those days will be coming to the game. THE MATH: Teams that win the first two games in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoffs series have an all-time series record of 287-45, a winning percentage of .864. That doesnt bode well for the Wild, but the Avalanche would of course be unwise to rely on the law of averages to advance them to the next round. "We just want to remain focused," Roy said. "Cant make a conclusion after only two wins. Now all weve earned is a chance to win Game 3 tomorrow." Stitched New York Giants Jerseys . -- Michael Frazier II scored 21 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 11 and No. New York Giants Deandre Baker Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.cheapgiants.com/181b-cheap-da...giants.html.com) - Fair Grounds commences its road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday with the 71st running of the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. Discount New York Giants Jerseys .com) - The Carolina Panthers won for the first time in seven games last week, were without Cam Newton due to a car accident this week, but somehow sit atop the much-maligned NFC South. New York Giants Daniel Jones Jersey . American Lindsey Jacobellis was third, while Japans Yuka Fujimori finished just off the podium. Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., earned bronze at the 2006 Olympic Games and is set to return to the Games this February in Sochi, Russia.It appears that Canadian international midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran is very close to signing with Toronto FC. His agent told TSN that the deal is "virtually done" and will be official in the next day or two. The news comes with Torontos season opener set ffor this Saturday on the road against the Seattle Sounders (TSN, 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt).dddddddddddd Farran, 29, was born in Calgary and has been playing with RWDM Brussels FC of the Belgian league. He has earned 27 caps playing internationally for Canada. 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