NHL Player News

Hunt registered an assist in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.

Hunt's helper was his first career playoff point, coming in his second appearance. The 23-year-old defenseman is filling in for Jonas Brodin (lower body) on the left side of the Wild's blue line, though the team is leaning heavily on what's left of its top four. Hunt picked up six assists, 43 blocked shots, 21 hits and 19 shots on net over 32 regular-season outings.

Johansson scored a goal on four shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.

Johansson has scored in both games of the second round, surpassing his output of one goal over six contests against the Stars in the first round. Still, his scoring hasn't led to general success for the Wild, who are down 2-0 against Colorado. Johansson is up to 16 shots on net, 18 hits and a plus-1 rating over eight playoff outings in a second-line role.

Kaprizov scored a goal on four shots, doled out three hits and added two PIM in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.

Kaprizov's tally came just six seconds after Martin Necas opened the scoring for the Avalanche. Through eight playoff outings, Kaprizov is up to three goals, eight assists, 20 shots on net, 15 hits and a plus-8 rating. He's been held to two points over two contests in Colorado, but he may have more success if his line draws better matchups on home ice in Games 3 and 4.

Gustavsson stopped 18 of 22 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Avalanche in Game 2.

Gustavsson went into the playoffs cold, and that led to him watching from the bench for the first seven games of the postseason. He didn't make a great impression in this contest, which led to the Wild falling behind 2-0 in the series. Gustavsson went 28-15-6 with a 2.69 GAA and a .903 save percentage over 50 regular-season contests, so he can play better than he's shown lately, though his work at the Olympics may have added some fatigue. With both Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt coming off ugly losses, it's unclear who the Wild will turn to in Game 3 on home ice Saturday.

Burns notched an assist and two hits in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

Burns has played a bottom-four role this postseason, and he got on the scoresheet for the first time with a secondary helper on a Valeri Nichushkin empty-netter. The 41-year-old Burns has added a plus-2 rating, eight shots on net, eight hits and four blocked shots. He's exceeded 20 minutes of ice time just once in the playoffs, and his role is likely to shrink once Josh Manson (upper body) is healthy again.

Kulak notched two assists and two blocked shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

Kulak has earned three helpers over six playoff outings while filling a top-four role on the blue line. He'll be tasked with continuing to fill a shutdown role as Josh Manson (upper body) works his way back into playing shape. Kulak has added 17 blocked shots, five shots on goal, six PIM and a plus-3 rating this postseason.

Roy scored a goal in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

Roy continues to provide decent depth scoring for the Avalanche from a bottom-six role. He's earned three goals, one assist, eight shots on net, 10 hits, five blocked shots and a plus-4 rating over six playoff contests. Roy has seen inconsistent power-play time during the postseason, so he may not be able to sustain his recent scoring success throughout the full playoff run.

Nichushkin scored an empty-net goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

Nichushkin ended a 10-game goal drought with the empty-netter at 19:55 of the third period. After getting held scoreless in the Avalanche's first-round sweep of the Kings, Nichushkin has three points over two outings against the Wild in the second round. The winger has added six shots on net, five hits and a plus-2 rating over six playoff contests.

Landeskog scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

Landeskog extended his point streak to five games with this effort. He's up to three goals, four helpers, 10 shots on net, 21 hits, six blocked shots and a plus-4 rating across six playoff contests. Landeskog has moved around the lineup a bit but saw a postseason-best 19:54 of ice time Tuesday. He should be good for middle-six minutes at a minimum.

Necas scored a goal on three shots and added a power-play assist in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Wild in Game 2.

The tally, which came at 2:51 of the first period, was Necas' first goal this postseason. He's added six helpers, 18 shots on net, nine hits and a plus-7 rating over six appearances. While Necas isn't filling the net much on his own, he remains in a top-line role that should lead to plenty of offense.