Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists each while Samuel Girard added a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 6-3 on Monday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Mikko Rantanen, Josh Manson and Ben Meyers also scored, Cale Makar had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 36 saves for the Avalanche. Colorado won for the second time in three games this season.

Kirill Kaprizov netted two goals, Joel Eriksson Ek also scored, Calen Addison had three assists and Filip Gustavsson turned away 32 shots for the Wild, who have lost their first three games.

Meyers gave Colorado a 1-0 lead when he tipped in a shot to the net by Erik Johnson just 3:30 into the game, his first of the season.

Kaprizov tied it up 44 seconds later when he one-timed a pass from Addison by Georgiev. Girard put the Avalanche in front 2-1 when he scored on a backhander at 15:08 of the first period. It was Girard’s first goal of the season.

The score stayed that way until the second period when Minnesota got even again on the power play. Addison put a slapshot toward the net from the point and Eriksson Ek deflected it past Georgiev at 6:09. It was his second of the season.

Colorado took the lead again when Rantanen knocked a loose puck in at 11:59 of the second for his first goal of the campaign.

The Avalanche scored again when Manson slid a backhander by Gustavsson at 2:02 of the final period for his first of the season.

The Wild got one back on the power play a few minutes later. Minnesota worked the puck around the zone, Addison fed Kaprizov at the right circle and his shot wide of the net went off Colorado defenseman Devon Toews and in at 4:17.

It was Kaprizov’s third goal of the season.

MacKinnon tipped in Makar’s shot from the point at 14:54, his second of the season, to make it 5-3. Nichushkin scored into an empty net at 19:39, his fourth.

–Field Level Media