08-26-2016, 09:12 AM
The Colorado Avalanche were the biggest surprise of the NHLs regular season. The Central Division champions now hope to carry their shocking success into the playoffs, as the Avalanche welcome the Minnesota Wild to Pepsi Center for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals. Watch the game live on TSN and TSN GO at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. Colorado not only made the playoffs for the first time since 2010, the club also earned its first division title since 2002-03. Winning the Central was no small feat, as the Avs finished ahead of an excellent St. Louis Blues team and also the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Avs figured to be a team on the upswing after landing talented center Nathan MacKinnon with the top overall pick of the 2013 draft and hiring former goaltender great Patrick Roy as their head coach. But an outstanding season by netminder Semyon Varlamov expedited the process and his Vezina Trophy-worthy season -- as well as a late collapse by the Blues -- helped the Avs take the division, setting up this first-round matchup against the Wild, who claimed the first of the Wests two wild card spots. Varlamov led the NHL with 41 victories, breaking Roys single-season franchise mark set in 2000-01. He also surpassed his head coach for the most home victories by an Avalanche goaltender in a season with 24. All will be for naught though if Varlamovs postseason debut with Colorado goes sour. He has not played a playoff game since 2010 with the Washington Capitals and in 19 total games of postseason experience, the Russian is 10-9 with a 2.49 goals against average and .915 save percentage. There may be some additional pressure on Varlamov and the defense as forward Matt Duchene may miss the entire series with a bruised knee suffered on March 29. Duchene still led the Avs with 47 assists and 70 points, but Colorado did manage to go 5-1-2 down the stretch without him. The Avalanche snapped a three-year playoff drought by matching a franchise record with 52 victories and setting another mark with 26 road wins. Their 112 points were good for second-most in the clubs single-season history. Minnesota is in the playoffs for the second straight season, making the club 2-for-2 in postseason appearances since it broke the bank to sign both forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter in the summer of 2012. The Wild snapped a four-year postseason drought by earning the eighth seed a season ago, only to fall in five games to the Chicago Blackhawks. This season, Minnesota racked up impressive totals of 43 wins and 98 points -- a 17-point improvement from the full 2011-12 campaign. The usual suspects came through as Jason Pominville, Parise, Mikko Koivu and Suter were Minnesotas top four scorers. The Wild had four goaltenders make at least 10 starts this season, but Ilya Bryzgalov is the No. 1 option heading into the playoffs. Bryzgalov was acquired from Edmonton at the trade deadline and the Russian veteran went 7-1-3 with a 2.12 goals against average and .911 save percentage in 12 games with Minnesota. Bryzgalov has appeared in 38 postseason games, though his numbers arent great. He is 17-19 with a 2.81 GAA and .908 save percentage. The Avalanche got a point in all five of their meetings with the Wild this season, going 4-0-1. Varlamov was 3-0-1 with a 2.16 GAA in four games, while Bryzgalov did not face the Avalanche since joining the Wild. The Russian has, however, won all four of his previous playoff games against them, posting a 0.94 GAA and two shutouts while with the Anaheim Ducks back in 2006. This is the third all-time playoff meeting between the clubs. The Wild won a 2003 conference quarterfinals matchup in seven games, while the Avalanche knocked off Minnesota in six games during the same round in 2008. Colorado also will host Game 2 of this best-of-seven series on Saturday. The Avs were 26-11-4 on home ice in 2013-14, while Minnesota was just 17-17-7 on the road. FRANKFURT, Germany -- Striker Mario Mandzukic scored a hat trick as holder Bayern Munich beat Hamburger SV 5-0 on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the German Cup. But Bayer Leverkusen, second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern, lost 1-0 at home to second-division Kaiserslautern. Wolfsburg held on with 10 men to win 3-2 at Hoffenheim. On Tuesday, Borussia Dortmund beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 to also reach the last four. The semifinal draw immediately after the matches sent Kaiserslautern to Bayern Munich, while Dortmund will host Wolfsburg. The matches are on April 15-16. Hamburg, which has lost six straight in the Bundesliga, was 2-0 down inside 30 minutes after goals by Mandzukic and Dante. Arjen Robben added another after the break, before Mandzukic struck twice within a span of two minutes. "We were very concentrated, it..s never easy to win," Dante said. It could have been the last game in charge for Hamburg..s coach Bert van Marwijk, with media speculation that former coach Felix Magath would return to the club he captained to European glory as a player. Hamburg has dropped to next to last in the Bundesliga and could be relegated for the first time. Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger made his comeback for Bayern as a substitute in the second half. He missed nearly three months following ankle surgery. Mario Goetze broke free on the left and found Mandzukic, who was left unmarked to slot home from about five meters (yards) in the 22nd. Four minutes later, Dante heaaded home from a corner by Toni Kroos.dddddddddddd Kroos also provided the long ball to Arjen Robben, who controlled it and drove home in the 54th. Goetze chipped a cross for Mandzukic at the far post for Bayern..s fourth goal in the 74th. Two minutes later, Hamburg..s defence failed to clear a long cross and Mandzukic fired home from close range. "Bayern plays in a league of its own," Hamburg defender Heiko Westermann said. Kaiserslautern beat Leverkusen on a goal by Ruben Jenssen in extra time. Mohamadou Idrissou, who had shot wide from the penalty spot early in extra time, set up his teammate with a pinpoint cross and Jenssen volleyed home in the 114th. Kaiserslautern reached the semifinals for the first time after 11 years. Ricardo Rodriguez converted two penalties before getting sent off but Wolfsburg held on to edge Hoffenheim 3-2. Wolfsburg now has the chance to reach the final for the first time since 1995. Last season it lost 6-1 to Bayern. Rodriguez, the Switerland defender, earned the second penalty after having converted the first for Wolfsburg. He drilled the ball into the roof of the net to restore Wolfsburg..s lead after Roberto Firmino..s equalizer. Bas Dost increased Wolfsburg..s lead in the 64th, before Rodriguez was sent off in the 71st for wasting time. Hoffenheim piled on the pressure and missed several chances before Firmino cut the deficit in injury time. But the home side could not find the equalizer to send the game into extra time. ' ' ' Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping
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