Avalanche reaffirm dominant status, roll to 5-1 win against red-hot Wild

Corey Masisak, The Denver Post on Dec 21, 2025

Published in Hockey

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Add league’s best streak buster to the growing list of platitudes for this Colorado Avalanche team.

For the third time this season, the Avs have faced a team riding at least a seven-game winning streak. For the third time, they ended it.

The Avs (26-2-7) came to the Twin Cities and put at least a temporary halt to the Minnesota Wild’s surge with a dominant 5-1 victory Sunday at Grand Casino Arena.

Cale Makar, facing fellow all-world defenseman Quinn Hughes for the first time since he arrived in Minnesota via a blockbuster trade, had a goal, two assists and controlled the game at both ends of the ice. Brock Nelson, a Warroad, Minn., native, had a goal and two assists, Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and the Avs power play had one of its best days of the season in the win.

“For sure, I think it was a big (game),” MacKinnon said. “They played yesterday and obviously that’s tough. … We were definitely excited for this. Had a good meeting this morning and just wanted to go outplay them and get this win. We did that.”

The Wild, which had won seven straight — including four with Hughes in the lineup after a Dec. 12 trade with Vancouver, did play Saturday afternoon here in St. Paul against the Edmonton Oilers. And the Avalanche looked like a team prepared to take advantage of that, particularly after losing 3-2 here on Nov. 28 in a shootout.

That loss snapped Colorado’s 10-game winning streak, which is the longest in the league this season. There have been six other runs of seven-plus wins, and Colorado has stopped half of them.

Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt also said, “it kind of says that we’re a better team than them” after the shootout win here last month. MacKinnon said he didn’t know anything about that quote, but the club’s social media team didn’t forget.

"It is what it is, just extra motivation for us," Makar said of Wallstedt's quote. "I don't think anybody really cares or really talked about that. ... We knew that this was a big game. Our guys were excited and got ready for it."

Martin Necas gave Colorado the lead with the lone goal of the opening period. Colorado's top line, which included captain Gabe Landeskog instead of Artturi Lehkonen, cycled the puck in offensive zone before Makar found Necas for a one-timer in the right circle at 18:28 of the period.

That was part of a strong push by the Avs in the final couple minutes of the first period, and it carried over to the second. Colorado had 34 shots on goal by the second intermission, and a three-goal advantage.

Both goals came on the power play. Nelson set up MacKinnon for a one-timer from the inside of the right circle at 13:37 of the second. MacKinnon added an empty-net tally as well. That gives him a league-leading 30 goals and 61 points this season.

MacKinnon is the first player to reach 60 points in 35 games for the franchise since it moved to Denver. It happened three times while the club was in Quebec City.

"It doesn't surprise me," Makar said. "He finds different ways to elevate every night. It's pretty spectacular to be a part of that."

Gavin Brindley drew a pair of penalties on Marcus Foligno shortly after that, and the Avs were able to cash in on the second infraction. Makar scored from the top of the zone, with Landeskog and Necas providing a screen, at 18:33 of the second.

Colorado entered the day ranked 28th in the league on the power play with a 15.3% conversion rate. The Avs had 17 shot attempts and 11 shots on goal during 6:16 with the man advantage, easily better than their typical per-minute output this season.

"I don't think it's been that bad lately, but a couple went in," MacKinnon said. "It's just hard when you go 0 for 1, 0 for 2 and it's, 'Here we go again.'

"It was nice that we had a really good first power play and then obviously got a couple in the second. The process was great too -- it wasn't just a couple of bounces."

The Avs had five shots on goal early in the third period and it looked as if they might put a crooked number on the Wild, but Ryan Hartman got Minnesota on the board at 5:15 of the final period with a rebound goal. It came after Minnesota had hit the iron behind Mackenzie Blackwood twice earlier in the shift.

Nelson ended any doubt with a one-timer at 15:53 of the third, scoring on the Avs' 40th shot of the game. It was Nelson's 14th goal of the season, and the three points gives him 25 in 35 games.

Makar's three-point day helped him regain the outright lead for points by a defenseman. Columbus' Zach Werenski had pulled even with him at 40 coming into Sunday.

"This is a good measuring stick game for us," Avs coach Jared Bednar said. "They're important points. Games against Minny, games against Dallas, the teams we are trying to stay ahead of.

"I think 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."

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