Postgame Hat Trick: Avalanche 5, Wild 1

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 5-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Tuesday night:

1. One could sense trouble brewing in the first period.
Minnesota owned the frame, posting a 12-5 edge in shots and controlling possession for much of the first 20 minutes. But a handful of grade-A chances were stopped by Avs goaltender Semyon Varlamov.
Colorado didn't get much in the first, gaining perhaps just one quality scoring chance ... unfortunately for the Wild, it scored on it, when J.T. Compher's shot from near the bottom of the circle snuck over Devan Dubnyk's glove and under the crossbar at 16:22.
Despite its lofty edge in shots and a tangible advantage in zone time and quality chances, the Wild trailed on the scoreboard.
2. Even when Minnesota tied the game in the second, it didn't stay that way long.
Trailing by a goal midway through the period and the teams playing 4-on-4, Charlie Coyle gained control of the puck and led a 2-on-1 rush down the right-wing boards. He fed Mikko Koivu with a perfect pass through a defenseman and the captain didn't miss, firing past Varlamov for his 13th goal at 13:56.

It took just 59 seconds for Colorado to get it back.
After Dubnyk made three fantastic saves on a loose puck in front, Nikita Zadorov received a pass from Blake Comeau in the high slot and one-timed a laser top shelf for his seventh of the season, reestablishing the one-goal lead for the visitors.
The Wild again outshot the Avs in the period, this time by a 15-10 margin, but had nothing to show for its trouble.
3. It was a rough and tumble game to say the least.
In addition to several scuffles and brouhahas, the game had the physical play you'd expect from division rivals battling for postseason positioning with less than a month remaining in the regular season.
Unfortunately for the Wild, it also came at a cost.
Minnesota caught a break early on when Comeau slashed Jason Zucker across the left hand/wrist area. Zucker, the Wild's second-leading goal scorer this season, writhed on the ice in pain and left the game for the remaining 12 minutes of the period, but returned at the start of the second.
The Wild didn't get as lucky in the third.
As Jared Spurgeon went to the corner to retrieve a loose puck, the defenseman lost an edge and crashed into the boards feet first, seemingly doing the splits as he went into the dasher at nearly full speed.
Spurgeon remained down on the ice and needed help to get to the bench and down the tunnel. He did not return to the game and his status was not updated before the final horn.
Related:
- Watch: Dubnyk clears puck away - Eric Staal delivers hat trick hats](https://www.nhl.com/wild/video/staal-delivers-hat-trick-hats/t-277437412/c-58855303)