Game Recap: Avalanche 5, Wild 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to become the first player with 30 goals this season, and the Colorado Avalanche ended the Minnesota Wild's seven-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory at Grand Casino Arena on Sunday.

MacKinnon, who has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) during an eight-game point streak, leads the NHL with 61 points (30 goals, 31 assists) in 35 games.

“He finds ways, different ways to elevate every night,” Colorado defenseman Cale Makar said. “It’s pretty spectacular to be a part of that, and glad I’m going to be here to supplement it.”

Makar and Brock Nelson each had a goal and two assists, Martin Necas also scored, and Valeri Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog each had two assists for the Avalanche (26-2-7), who have won five in a row and extended their point streak to eight games (7-0-1). Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves.

“We challenged our team tonight because this is like a good measuring stick game for us and they’re important points, the games against Minnesota, the games against Dallas, the teams we’re trying to stay ahead of and beat in the regular season and we know we’re going to have to face come playoff time,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s required that you give a little bit more than you do in a normal game, and I would say to a man tonight we did that. We were well-prepared for this game from a focus standpoint, competitively. We did a nice job in all phases of our game.

“It doesn’t mean we’re not going to make mistakes, but we played a solid game tonight. I think that’s just everybody giving a little extra.”

Ryan Hartman scored, and Jesper Wallstedt made 37 saves for the Wild (22-10-5), who also had their home point streak end at 14 games (12-0-2).

“I thought obviously Colorado played really well, but I just thought for us, I thought our compete and our want wasn't there," Minnesota coach John Hynes said. "I just felt we were a step slow and a step off all night, whether it was in the speed in which we played with, our skating, our execution, we were just a little bit of a step behind in those situations.”

Necas gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead at 18:28 of the first period, roofing a one-timer over Wallstedt's glove from the right hash marks.

Sam Malinski appeared to make it 2-0 on a rebound in front at 4:12 of the second period, but Minnesota challenged the play for offside, and the call was reversed after a video review.

MacKinnon, however, did extend the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal at 13:37, scoring with a one-timer from the edge of the left circle.

Makar made it 3-0 at 18:33 with another power-play goal after Marcus Foligno was assessed two minor penalties (interference and cross-checking) at 15:07. He scored glove side through a screen following a face-off win by Landeskog.

Hartman cut the deficit to 3-1 at 5:15 of the third period, scoring in front after Jonas Brodin's point shot hit off the right post.

“We showed them a little too much respect, I think,” Wild forward Mats Zuccarello said. “A good team like that, you have to be on the front foot. But you have to get them credit. It’s simple, they were a better team than us today. We didn't have our best, and then you don't win games like this.”

Nelson made it 4-1 at 15:52 with a one-timer from the right circle, and MacKinnon scored into an empty net at 17:35 for the 5-1 final.

“We talked about how this one was going to be a really good test with how well this team has been playing after the (Quinn Hughes) trade, how tight our division is and how important these games are in terms of standings for playoffs,” Nelson said. “... And I thought we executed in all of our special teams, 5-on-5. I thought we did a really good job being dialed in.”

NOTES: MacKinnon (35 games) required the second-fewest games to reach the 30-goal mark in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. Only Michel Goulet (34 games in 1985-86) did it faster. ... Makar has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his past nine games. ... Hartman has scored in three straight games and has seven points (five goals, two assists) in his past six games.