The Avalanche Get a Wild Win After Upsetting Loss to Chicago

The Colorado Avalanche went into Thursday night's matchup angry and determined and got the job done in dramatic fashion against the Minnesota Wild with a 6-1 win. Logan O'Connor, Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, and Josh Manson each had a two-point night.

The boys laid their latest win on thick after being upset by the Chicago Blackhawks, the last-place team in the league, 3-1 on Wednesday. With Juuso Parssinen being the lone point-getter with a goal, Rantanen's 14-game point streak was snapped. His point streak is the longest recorded by an Avalanche player during the 2024-25 season so far.

After a loss like that, one could only imagine the firepower likely to come from this team in their next match.

How It All Began...

Lackluster starts to games have been a point of contention for this Avalanche team all season. Statistics are on their side when they can find the back of the net early on in the game. Take these stats, for example: the Avalanche, before tonight's game, were 10-0-1 when leading after the first period, and when trailing, they are 9-12-0.

That alone paints a fairly clear picture of what's expected of them early on. Tonight they did that, thanks to a goal from Logan O'Connor just shy of four minutes into the game. Ross Colton also found the back of the net during the first, taking advantage of a fumbled pass from Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm behind his own net and finding space on Filip Gustavsson's far side.

Minnesota responded just over a minute and a half later via defenseman Zach Bogosian. This would be Minnesota's lone goal of the game. The chaos the Wild's rush created in front of Mackenzie Blackwood set this goal up, and with much of Colorado still recovering, Bogosian had open ice to get it past Blackwood for a late-period goal.

By the end of the first period, the Avalanche were up 2-1.

The Snowball Effect

Rantanen had the lone goal of the second period off of a drop-pass from MacKinnon right after entering the zone. Gustavsson was screened by his own defenseman, allowing Rantanen to increase the lead for the Avalanche.

The third period was much more exciting, with three goals from three different players and five different players to assist on each of them.

Parker Kelly got the third-period scoring started with a goal just 4 minutes and 23 seconds in. He and Joel Kiviranta find themselves in a 2-on-1 situation, and just as Minnesota recovers in their end, Kiviranta finds an open Kelly at the left faceoff dot and helps to make it 4-1.

Tonight, the Avalanche increased their shorthanded goal count to three with a goal from Artturi Lehkonen during a penalty kill brought about by Casey Mittelstadt, assessed two minutes for cross-checking. Instead of finding the breakout pass, Josh Manson carries the puck by himself to create a 2-on-1 situation for himself and Lehkonen. With a slick pass to Lehkonen in front of the Wild net, they make it 5-1.

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But it's not over yet. MacKinnon joined the scoring party, thanks to a quick transition passing sequence from Rantanen to Drouin, with a quick snap past a broken-down Gustavsson before the halfway mark of the third period. Leading 6-1 with 11:12 to go in regulation, that's where the scoresheet caps off.

A Perfect Penalty Kill

Not only did Lehkonen and company manage a shorthanded goal, but the team managed to post a perfect 3-3 performance on the penalty kill.

In fact, the Avalanche have put up perfect numbers on the penalty kill in their last four games, going 10-10. Impressive when it's considered that, after tonight's numbers have been recorded, they still rank 19th in the league on the penalty kill.

What's Next for the Colorado Avalanche

Thursday's matchup was the first of four between the Avalanche and the Wild, the next of which is played at Ball Arena on January 20th.

Until then, the Avalanche have one more game to play on the road against the Winnipeg Jets (Saturday, 1/11 at 5:00 pm Mountain Time). After that, they're back in Denver for a five-game homestand, where they'll host the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Colorado Avalanche site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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