Nathan MacKinnon beat Jesper Wallstedt in the fourth round of the shootout, and the Colorado Avalanche topped the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in Denver on Sunday.
The Avalanche increased their lead over third-place Minnesota in the Central Division to 10 points with their fifth straight win and second in a row in a shootout. Colorado rallied to beat Dallas in a shootout on Friday night. The Stars trail the Avs by seven standings points.
MacKinnon and Nicolas Roy scored in regulation, Val Nichushkin added a goal in the shootout, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 32 shots in 65 minutes, plus two in the shootout for the Avalanche.
Colorado announced before the game that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury. Nazem Kadri, acquired from Calgary at Friday’s trade deadline, had an assist in his first game with the Avalanche since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.
Kirill Kaprizov and Nico Sturm had goals, Matt Boldy added one in the shootout and Wallstedt made 34 saves through overtime for Minnesota. He also stopped two more in the shootout.
Nick Foligno made his Wild debut and played nine minutes after coming over in a trade with Chicago on Friday.
After a scoreless first period, Colorado broke through in the second when Kadri stole a pass behind the Minnesota net and fed MacKinnon in the right circle.
MacKinnon beat Wallstedt with a shot over his left shoulder at 12:19 for his NHL-leading 43rd goal of the season.
The Wild increased the pressure and almost tied it when Boldy’s shot hit the post late in the second period, then scored the equalizer early in the third.
Four seconds after Ross Colton was called for slashing, Kaprizov’s shot from the top of the right circle deflected off Colorado defenseman Brent Burns’ stick and past Wedgewood at 4:17.
The Avalanche went on the power play a minute later but it was Minnesota that cashed in when Sturm scored on a breakaway at 7:01. It was the 11th short-handed goal allowed by Colorado this season, the most in the NHL.
The Avalanche tied it at 12:39 when Roy tipped a Brett Kulak shot past Wallstedt.
–Field Level Media
