Avalanche recover in 3rd, top Wild in shootout for 5th straight win

DENVER -- Nathan MacKinnon scored in regulation before getting the deciding goal in the shootout for the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena on Sunday.

“I have no complaints, really, about the way we played tonight, especially at the end of this stretch of games that we're on and the road trip we're coming back from,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It was like kind of an evenly matched third, right? Like we give up the lead and we had to go get it back, but everyone was contributing throughout our lineup, regardless of how much ice time they got. They stayed ready and focused, and we find a way to get it done.

“I thought it was a well-played game.”

Nicolas Roy scored the tying goal with 7:21 left in the third period, and Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves for the Avalanche (43-10-9), who have won five straight and seven of their past eight.

Nazem Kadri had an assist in his return to Colorado after being acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Friday. Kadri won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

“[It was] emotional just seeing the support I get here. It's absolutely incredible. So just makes me want to play harder for these fans and this team,” said Kadri, who played on the left wing with MacKinnon and Martin Necas. “I haven't played wing in years, actually, and when I found out about that, mentally, I knew I had to be a little bit sharp today.”

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog did not play due to a lower-body injury he sustained in Colorado’s 5-4 shootout win at Dallas on Friday. He’s week to week.

“Well, it's a lower-body injury, and not a comfortable one. That's the time frame that the doctors gave us,” Bednar said.

Kirill Kaprizov scored a power-play goal, and Nico Sturm scored a short-handed goal for the Wild (37-16-11), who had won two straight but are 2-2-1 in their past five. Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves.

“I thought it was a real competitive hockey game on both sides,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “Penalty kill came up huge today. 'Wally' was a big part of that, but I thought the guys on the kill did a heck of a job. So, it was nice that while we put ourselves in some disadvantageous situations, the penalty kill came up big.

“I thought it was two teams going at it pretty hard, and it's fun to be a part of games like that. Wish we could have got the two points.”

MacKinnon gave Colorado a 1-0 lead at 12:19 of the second period after Kadri fed him at the right circle for a one-timer that went short side over Wallstedt’s shoulder. Kadri beat Brock Faber to Quinn Hughes’ drop pass in the right corner and tapped the puck out to MacKinnon, who dropped down to one knee, for the play.

“Of course, I want to contribute offensively, and just trying to do the right things out there and be in the right spots and make some offensive plays,” Kadri said. “I think we had some good pressure on the forecheck, made a good read, picked off a pass, and found Nate in the slot. And he's going to bury that.”

Kaprizov's power-play goal tied it 1-1 at 4:17 of the third period. His pass to Matt Boldy in the high slot deflected off the stick of Brent Burns and went far side past the right foot of Wedgewood.

“You want to be able to close games down when you have the lead, but I think we played well,” Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek said. “A lot of special teams, but other than that, I think as the game went on, I think we got better and better.”

Sturm’s short-handed goal gave the Wild a 2-1 lead at 7:01. He skated in on a breakaway and beat Wedgewood blocker side with a wrist shot as he cut into the slot. The play came 28 seconds after Wallstedt made a cross-crease pad save on a Necas slap shot.

“I saw the hard rim, and I saw it coming around the boards, and after it came around the boards, it was still like kind of knee high, and I saw the D-man standing there,” Sturm said. “I was like, there's no way he's going to be able to control that puck, and even if he does, it's going to be kind of bobbled. So I'm going to pressure him. It kind of went right through him, and then, obviously, I'm on a breakaway.”

Roy then tied it 2-2 at 12:39 when he deflected Brett Kulak’s point shot top shelf from the top of the crease.

“Obviously, at that point, we needed a goal. So just trying to switch the mindset a little bit, try to attack a little more,” said Roy, who was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. “It was good to get one there. Good timing.”

NOTES: Necas skated in his 500th NHL game. … Sturm scored his fifth career short-handed goal, which tied Tobias Rieder for the fifth-most by a Germany-born player, behind Marco Sturm (18), Jochen Hecht (10), Leon Draisaitl (10) and Tim Stutzle (six).