The Minnesota Wild find themselves in a familiar and frustrating position as they head home for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche. After dropping both games in Denver, the Wild are in an 0-2 hole—and their special teams are a major reason why.

Through the first two games of the series, Minnesota's power play has gone 0-for-5, extending a postseason slump that has become a growing concern. While the Wild lead all playoff teams with 30 man-advantage opportunities, they've managed just four goals on those chances. That's a troubling stat for a team that prided itself on one of the league's top power-play units during the regular season.

"Special teams," Wild center Michael McCarron said bluntly when asked what needs to change. "We've got to figure it out. We have opportunities to get some momentum for ourselves, but it's going the other way."

The Wild's penalty kill hasn't fared much better. Minnesota ranks near the bottom of the playoff standings in that department, having allowed 13 goals on 32 shorthanded situations. Colorado has capitalized on 3 of 7 power-play opportunities in this series alone, putting added pressure on a Wild squad that can ill afford to give the Avalanche extra chances.

Forward Matt Boldy acknowledged the challenge: "Hockey is hard right now, this time of year. We've got to keep going and find ways to put the puck in the net."

The Wild are hoping for a spark from a potential return. Forward Joel Eriksson Ek, who missed the Denver games with a lower-body injury, is scheduled to be re-evaluated before Saturday's Game 3 in St. Paul. Defenseman Jonas Brodin, also sidelined with a lower-body issue, will be evaluated as well. Their presence could provide a much-needed boost to both the power play and overall team morale.

Captain Jared Spurgeon emphasized the need for composure: "Keep our frustration away and keep going with what we have. Obviously, they're a good team over there, and they're going to make plays when we make mistakes, so we've got to limit those. We've had our chances as well. We've just got to regroup here."

For the Wild, the message is clear: special teams will be the difference between climbing back into this series or watching it slip away. With the series shifting back to Minnesota, the home crowd at Xcel Energy Center will be looking for a response—and a power-play goal or two wouldn't hurt either.