Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page C1

nba playoff preview C3 Rivers remakes Clippers Jerry Zgoda's story lines, playoff predictions sports STARTRIBUNE.COMSPORTS SECTION SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2014 KANSAS CITY 5, TWINS 0 Up next: 1:10 p.m. today at Kansas City TV: FSN (96.3-FM) nhl playoffs 14 first round GAME 2: WILD AT COLORADO 8:30 p.m. today Pepsi Center, Denver (100.3-FM) Series: Avalanche leads 1-0 Surging offense grinds to a halt ft DEAL WITH IT AND MOVE ON' The Royals' Jason Vargas stopped the Twins with the notable help of his defense. By La VELLE E. NEAL III lnealstartribune.com KANSAS CITY, MO.

The Twins chugged into Friday with the best team on-base percentage in baseball, the second-most runs scored and gasp were one game over .500. These were early signs that they might not be the disaster they were last season, But momentum can be slowed by a hot pitcher and stingy defense. And the Twins were put in their place by Jason Vargas and friends in a 5-0 loss at Kauffman Stadium. Vargas was strong for seven innings. Alex Gordon showed why he can't be messed with in left field.

And the Twins, who swept three games from the Royals at Target Field last week, dropped the first game of their series here. Vargas threw seven shutout innings, allowing seven hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. He did not get a decision on Sunday at Target Field, after giving up two runs over seven innings. Twins hitters, therefore, were very familiar with him, but it comes down to executing a game plan. He threw fastballs early, struggling with his command at times.

But he began mixing in his changeup and helped hand the Twins their first shutout of the season. Only two Twins batters reached second base on Vargas' watch. "He's got a good plan and sticks to it," Twins outfielder Chris Colabello said. "It seems like every time we get runners on against him, he finds a way to get out of it. He's obviously a pitcher; he thinks things through.

He kept us off balance for a lot of the game." Royals defense was a constant presence. They turned a nifty double play in the third to stop a threat before it started. Twins continues on C5 CARLOS GONZALEZ cgonzalezstartribune.com Wild goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's dejection was clear after Colorado's Paul Stastny tied the score with 13.4 seconds left in the third period of Game 1. The scene repeated in overtime. After its stunning collapse in Game 1, the Wild focused on moving forward the previous game, but you can't carry the emotions of wins or losses into the next game.

"You deal with it and move on." Friday afternoon, the Wild did its best to put Thursday's disappointment in the rearview mirror during an up-tempo, lively, surprisingly loose practice. The Wild tried to pull the good things it did out of Thursday's game while repairing the bad things. The Wild knows it must manage the puck better in Saturday's rematch, Wild continues on C8 "I remember slamming my fists on the ice because I was face down," Cooke said, laughing. That's why Cooke said the Wild surrendering a two-goal, third-period lead in Thursday's Game 1 OT loss to the Colorado Avalanche is not the "end of the world" provided the Wild responds properly in Saturday's Game2. "Even if you look further in that 2003 series, we were up three games to one and the Wild won the series," Cooke said.

"Series are long. Series take their toll. The key to winning a series is you learn your lessons from By MICHAEL RUSSO mrussostartribune.com DENVER There is precedent for the Wild rallying to win a playoff series after allowing a late tying goal in Game 1, then losing that same game in overtime. Just ask Matt Cooke. The Wild veteran was a 23-year-old Vancouver Canucks agitator in 2003 when he sent Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Wild to overtime with 1.2 seconds left.

Trent Klatt then scored in overtime to lift Vancouver to a 4-3 victory. Give the Avs three inches, and they'll take a milestone win chip scoggins Denver Erik Johnson guesses he had three inches to spare. Three inches to save a goal, save a game, maybe even save a season. Three inches. That's it.

Imagine how different things would feel if Johnson had skated a fraction of a second slower, if he hadn't reached that rolling puck three inches from the goal line with his team down by one goal and 92 seconds left on the clock. The answer, of course, is easy. The Wild wins, home ice shifts and the Stastny said, "we're not here in this moment." Neither is the Wild, which instead must live with the harsh reality that it gave away a playoff game with some acute mistakes that created its undoing. Johnson's frantic save on Erik Hau-la's long toss at an open net late in regulation allowed the Avs to tie the score with 13.4 seconds left on Stastny's goal and then win it 5-4 in overtime on Stastny's dagger. Without Johnson's save-the-day flick of the puck, the entire tone of Game 1 changes.

Fans aren't grumbling about how the Wild gagged on its two-goal lead. They're not fuming (as much) about Kyle Brodziak's awful turnover in the third period and his minus-3 stat line. Or Jared Spurgeon's inability to clear the puck out of his zone before the tying goal. Or Mikael Granlund's refusal to shoot or even look to shoot into a partly open net. Scoggins continues on C6 pressure on the Colorado Avalanche increases tenfold.

"If that doesn't happen, that hustle out of EJ," Game 1 hero Paul JOHN SLEEZER Kansas City Star Brian Dozier went l-for-4 but objected when he was called out looking in the first inning. Hoffner eases back into MSU job with low profile game a week from Saturday, Hoffner said he will be content to observe during his first days back at the helm of the program. That didn't diminish his satisfaction in being outfitted again in a purple windbreaker and the title of Mavericks head coach. "No transition in a situation like this is going to be perfect," Hoffner said. "But it's a great opportunity for me to evaluate, assess and observe.

Those are Hoffner continues on C2 son, Brady, couldn't wait to get him out the door. "I actually got a chance to sleep in," the Mavericks football coach said. "But the kids didn't have school, and they came in and jumped on the bed. And my son said, 'Get to Hoffner laughed about that exchange on Friday afternoon, as he watched from the sidelines during his team's practice. Getting back to work as MSU's football coach is all Hoffner has wanted to do for the past Players were receptive to the reinstated coach, who reconnected with supporters during practice.

By RACHEL BLOUNT rachel.blountstartribune.com He hadn't slept much on Wednesday night, after the turmoil of his first day back at Minnesota State Mankato. Todd Hoffner rested much easier before a fresh start dawned on Friday, but his 10-year-old 20 months, since he was suspended and later fired by the university. After a false start Wednesday, when his players refused to practice following his reinstatement, Hoffner stood in the sunshine and quietly got reacquainted with the business of building a team. The Mavericks concluded their third week of spring practice Friday under coach Aaron Keen, who led them in Hoffner's absence and remained the man in charge on the field. With the spring DAVID JOLES djolesstartribune.com Minnesota State Mankato coach Todd Hoffner mostly observed practice Friday a role that was ideal for his transition..