Some of the issues that looked fixed two days ago in a decisive win against the Dallas Stars were again troubling for the Colorado Avalanche in a loss to the Minnesota Wild.

Without Kirill Kaprizov, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota played a smart, poised and gutsy game, pulling away in the third for a 3-1 victory at Ball Arena.

The Colorado Avalanche, perennial Stanley Cup contenders, are at a pivotal juncture in the 2024-25 NHL season. With the recent acquisition of goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and ongoing speculation about a potential trade for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones, the Avalanche’s odds of winning the Stanley Cup have improved.

(AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and his NHL-leading 53rd assist ... Parker Kelly and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves. Zach Bogosian scored for the second straight game for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson stopped 21 ...

ST PAUL, Minn. — Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and his NHL-leading 53rd assist of the season to help the Colorado Avalanche rout the Minnesota Wild 6-1 on Thursday night. Mikko Rantanan and Logan O’Connor also each had a goal and an assist, Ross Colton, Parker Kelly and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves.

Yakov Trenin and Brock Faber scored goals 1:35 apart early in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in Denver on Monday.

DENVER (AP) — Yakov Trenin scored against his former team early in the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday. Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist, Brock Faber also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for Minnesota.

The Avalanche lost 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena on Monday. Nathan MacKinnon scored for Colorado while Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves inclduing two highlight-reel stops. Minnesota's Jake Middleton opened the scoring at 12:18 of the first period with a wrist shot through traffic from the point.

Evan Bouchard scored the winning goal late in the third period, capping the Edmonton Oilers' rally from a three-goal deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in Denver on Thursday night.

Despite being down 3-0 after twelve minutes against the hottest goalie in the league on Thursday night, the Oilers never wavered. They chipped and pushed and forced their way back from the early deficit, eventually pulling out a thrilling 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Jonathan Toews scored with 36.1 seconds left in overtime and the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win Tuesday night against the New York Rangers at Ball Arena.

Mackenzie Blackwood’s third regulation loss since joining the Avalanche was the first game he allowed more than two goals. Despite making 24 saves on 28 shots, Colorado failed to maintain a three-goal lead and lost 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.