Wild tally twice in third period to power past Avalanche

Field Level Media|published: Mon 20th January, 18:02 2025

NHL: Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche

Jan 20, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (39) makes a save on Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Yakov Trenin and Brock Faber scored goals 1:35 apart early in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in Denver on Monday.

Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist, Liam Ohgren contributed two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury turned away 26 shots for Minnesota. The Wild, who continue to play without leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov and captain Jared Spurgeon, snapped a three-game skid and improved to 17-5-3 on the road. They have the most road wins in the NHL.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which is 2-2 on its five-game homestand that finishes Wednesday against Winnipeg.

Mackenzie Blackwood had 23 saves, including several big ones through the first two periods that kept the Avalanche in the game.

Play went mostly unimpeded for the first seven-plus minutes until Middleton's shot from the point got by a screened Blackwood to give Minnesota 1-0 lead at 12:18.

The Wild went on the power play twice in the final 4:39 of the first but converted neither time. Their best chance came when David Jiricek got a pass through the slot and had a wide-open net before Blackwood slid over and made a pad save.

Blackwood continued to keep it a one-goal game through the second period, denying Joel Eriksson Ek on a point-blank chance and then made two saves on Minnesota's fourth power play of the afternoon.

MacKinnon capitalized on Blackwood's play late in the second period. He stickhandled in the Wild zone, which sent Middleton to the ice, sent the puck to Samuel Girard, took the return pass down the slot and beat Fleury with a wrister at 18:52.

Minnesota took back the lead early in the third period when Jiricek sent a pass in the slot to Trenin, whose snap shot beat Blackwood at 2:08. The Wild added another goal soon after when Faber got a drop pass from Ryan Hartman, skated in between the circles and sent a shot over Blackwood's left shoulder at 3:43.

Blackwood came off for an extra skater with 3:27 left but Colorado couldn't score.

--Field Level Media

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