Avalanche, Wild Set for Central Division Clash in Saint Paul SAINT PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — The surging Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild meet Sunday at Grand Casino Arena in a key Central Division matchup just before the league’s holiday break. Colorado (25-9-0) enters with the NHL’s best record and on a hot streak, having won nine of its last 10 games. The Avalanche are coming off a 3-2 home victory over Winnipeg on Friday. Minnesota (22-14-0) is also rolling, winning five straight and seven of its last eight, including a decisive 5-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday. The Wild will look to replicate their success from the teams’ last meeting, a 3-2 shootout victory over Colorado on Nov. 28. That result is one of the few recent blemishes for the Avalanche. A player to watch for Colorado is rookie forward Gavin Brindley. He has points in four of his last five games, including a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over Florida on Dec. 11. For Minnesota, defenseman David Jiricek has been a physical presence on the blue line, recording multiple hits in three of his last four contests. The game features two of the league’s most potent offenses. Colorado’s attack is fueled by its top line, while Minnesota’s recent outburst — scoring five or more goals in four of its last five games — has been powered by Vladimir Tarasenko and Matt Boldy. Boldy had two goals in Saturday’s win. Both teams face a tight turnaround, with the Wild playing the second leg of a back-to-back and the Avalanche concluding a brief two-game road trip. Colorado begins a four-game homestand on Tuesday, while Minnesota starts a five-game Western road trip after hosting Nashville on Tuesday. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, this contest projects as a high-scoring affair, with a predicted final score of 5-4 in favor of the Wild. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Sunday.