In a much anticipated dress rehearsal ahead of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers kicking off for real this weekend, division rivals Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild met for their one and only exhibition match. Though this game didn’t count it served as a much needed tune-up as the Avalanche received a lot of special teams work and tasked with holding a one goal third period lead, which they successfully achieved to earn a 3-2 win.
Before the game the two teams stood together during the anthem in unity. In particular Nazem Kadri, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Matt Dumba and Jordan Greenway, the four players of color in the game, locked arms in a powerful display.