Prized rookie returned to the Avalanche lineup Friday night but another blown third-period lead at home followed. The Avs, who had dropped two straight in disappointing fashion at the last week, played come-from-behind most of the night and wilted when it mattered most.
The Minnesota Wild rallied for two goals within 1:17 midway through the third period and defeated Colorado 6-4. Because of the NHL’s mandatory three-day Christmas break, the Wild had to travel to Denver on gameday, departing from Minneapolis at 8 a.m. CT.
But Minnesota was the sharper team in the third period, overcoming a 4-3 deficit with third-period goals from Mats Zuccarello and Victor Rask. Ryan Suter added an empty-net goal.
“Couple sloppy plays,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Just not a complete game from our group. You have to play a full 60 (minutes) to win.”
Avs third-line winger scored twice with redirection tip-ins atop the crease, scored an unassisted highlight-reel goal and Makar — who had missed the last eight games with a shoulder injury — assisted on ‘s late in the second period.
Goalie Pavel Francouz (27 saves) struggled for the Avs while Devan Dubnyk (40 saves) was good enough for the Wild.
Colorado, which blew third-period leads to Carolina and Chicago at home last week before pounding the Golden Knights 7-3 in Las Vegas on Monday, has no time to sulk. It will lose an hour and play the Stars in Dallas on Saturday night.
“You play 82 (games) and a lot of times you’re playing the next night or two nights after,” Calvert said. “Obviously, a tough hockey team on the road, the Dallas Stars. We’re going to push even harder and have our brains turned on right from the start.”
The Avs never trailed but were in a position to win when the teams entered the third period tied 3-3. Calvert’s second goal — a redirect on a shot by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — came 1:33 into the final frame to give the Avs their first lead of the game.
But the Wild answered at 10:41 (Zuccarello) and then retook the lead at 11:58 (Rask).
“A couple defensive breakdowns on both those goals,” Landeskog said. “It sucks.”
Minnesota led 2-0 and dominated the first half of the first period before the Avs got two late goals within 46 seconds to tie it 2-2 heading into the first intermission. Calvert redirected ‘s blast from the point to put Colorado on the board at 18:24 before Landeskog tied it with a highlight-reel-worth goal at 19:12.
The Wild didn’t panic and got the next two goals — including one that didn’t count. First, first-line center Joel Eriksson Ek used a bad-angle wrist shot to make it 3-2, but the goal was soon erased after a coach’s challenge proved Minnesota entered the offensive zone offside.
But minutes later, the Wild went on the power play and capitalized with a big blast from defenseman Brad Hunt on a shot Francouz never saw.
The Avs then responded with another goal in the final minute of the period. Makar spotted MacKinnon above the crease and his feed caromed off MacKinnon’s skate and behind Dubnyk.
“The first 10 minutes were probably as bad as any this year. We kept turning pucks over,” Landeskog said. “Obviously, we get out of the first with a tie hockey game and I think, really, in the second we took over. We weren’t getting rewarded but we kept playing and eventually have a one-goal lead with 10 minutes to go in the game.”
Footnotes. The Avs’ healthy scratches were forward and defenseman . Minnesota scratched forward Jason Zucker (injury) and defenseman Nick Seeler. Zucker, the former University of Denver standout, is recovering from a broken leg. … The Avs departed for Dallas after the game.
