NHL: Avalanche edge Wild in shootout for 5th straight win

Nathan MacKinnon scored in the fourth round of the shootout to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday at Ball Arena.

The win gave Colorado its fifth straight victory and second in a row in a shootout, extending their lead over third-place Minnesota in the Central Division to 10 points. The Avalanche also rallied to beat the Dallas Stars in a shootout on Friday, leaving Dallas seven points behind in the standings.

MacKinnon and Nicolas Roy scored during regulation, Val Nichushkin added a goal in the shootout, and goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves over 65 minutes, plus two more in the shootout.

Colorado announced before the game that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Nazem Kadri, acquired from Calgary at Friday’s trade deadline, recorded an assist in his first game with the Avalanche since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.

For Minnesota, Kirill Kaprizov and Nico Sturm scored in regulation, Matt Boldy added a goal in the shootout, and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 shots through overtime and two more in the shootout. Nick Foligno made his Wild debut, playing nine minutes after joining in a trade with Chicago on Friday.

After a scoreless first period, Colorado struck in the second when Kadri intercepted a pass behind the Minnesota net and fed MacKinnon in the right circle. MacKinnon’s shot over Wallstedt’s left shoulder at 12:19 gave him his NHL-leading 43rd goal of the season.

Minnesota increased the pressure and nearly tied the game when Boldy’s shot hit the post late in the second period. The Wild eventually equalized 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 beat Wedgewood at 4:17.

The Avalanche went on the power play a minute later, but it was Minnesota that scored next when Sturm converted on a breakaway at 7:01. It marked Colorado’s 11th short-handed goal allowed this season, the most in the NHL. Colorado tied the game at 12:39 when Roy tipped a Brett Kulak shot past Wallstedt.

MacKinnon sealed the victory in the shootout, giving the Avalanche another crucial win in their push toward the playoffs.

—Field Level Media/Reuters