The Colorado Avalanche face the Minnesota Wild FREE Live Streaming NHL Playoffs from XCel Energy Center Monday at 7:00 PM ET

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.

"I'm a third-line player for a reason and I feel like that's the best way I'm 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:

WHO'S 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 Kuempner 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 postseason 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 don't think we should forget about that. We weren't playing our game in front of him. And this is a guy who's played a lot of good hockey for us," Yeo said.

Kuemper's 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 I'm really excited. It's a big game for the team, and I'm going to do my part and I'm sure everyone else is going to do their part," he said.

The game is live streaming on gofirstrowus.eu/sport/ice-hockey.html‎