MINNEAPOLIS — The Wild's rut to start the season keeps getting deeper.
Despite a more competitive push against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Wild couldn't overcome the Avalanche and skidded into a 6-3 loss on Monday in front of 17,437 at Xcel Energy Center to fall to 0-3.
Not only that, but the Wild still haven't had a lead.
Colorado opened the scoring only 3 minutes, 30 seconds into the first period on a deflection by former Gophers captain Ben Meyers that sailed over Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson and dropped into the net. But the advantage didn't last long; just 44 seconds later, Kirill Kaprizov one-timed in a Calen Addison pass during a delayed penalty to the Avalanche.
Still, the Wild went into the intermission trailing after a backhander by Samuel Girard slipped by Gustavsson, who got the nod in net over Marc-Andre Fleury.
At 6:09 of the second, the Wild pulled even when Joel Eriksson Ek tipped in an Addison shot on the power play for Eriksson Ek's second power play marker of the season.
But another quirky goal stung the Wild: At 4-on-4, Nathan MacKinnon's dump-in caromed off Gustavsson and into the crease where Mikko Rantanen pounced on the loose puck with 8:01 left in the second.
That deficit doubled 2:02 into the third period when Josh Manson flung in a backhander before the Wild finally benefited from a fortuitous bounce, a centering attempt by Kaprizov on the power play that redirected in off Colorado's Devon Toews. Addison's assist was his third point of the night, a career high and franchise record for a rookie defenseman.
The Wild had another power play coming up not long after that play, but the advantage was negated because they had too many men on the ice. Overall, the Wild went 2-for-4 and Colorado was 1-for-2 after MacKinnon tacked on an insurance goal with 5 minutes, 6 seconds remaining before Valeri Nichuskin added a shorthanded empty netter at 19:39.
Gustavsson finished with 32 saves, and Alexandar Georgiev had 36 for Colorado.
