Wild win seventh game in a row, cooling off Avalanche in shootout

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Nov 28, 2025

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild’s switch from afterthought to juggernaut keeps getting more stunning.

They snapped the Avalanche’s 10-game win streak, knocking off the NHL’s top team, 3-2, in overtime Friday afternoon at Grand Casino Arena for their season-best seventh straight victory.

Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy capitalized in the shootout after Kirill Kaprizov scored twice to pass Zach Parise for the third-most goals in franchise history and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon netted his league-leading 19th goal to reach an NHL-high 40 points.

Jesper Wallstedt went 2 for 3 in the shootout after making 39 saves to continue to thrive during his rookie season (7-0-2) and in the goalie rotation that is suiting the Wild to a tee.

This was only the eighth matchup in NHL history in which both teams put a win streak of at least six games on the line and the second involving the Wild; they had their 12-game run ended by the Blue Jackets and their 15-win blitz on New Year’s Eve in 2016, but the circumstances this go-around were unique.

The Avalanche hadn’t given up a goal in their previous three games. The shootout loss extends their point streak to 15 games (12-0-3) — they haven’t lost in regulation since Oct. 25 at Boston.

Colorado was also dominating the Central Division rivalry, prevailing in six of the past eight meetings with the Wild and five of their past six trips to St. Paul.

But the Wild turning over a new leaf after their woeful October has also included a revival inside the division: During their league-high 11-1-1 showing in November and active 9-0-1 tear, they’ve gone a perfect 4-0 in the division.

How it happened

The showdown between the league’s top two teams this month lived up to its billing, with the Wild and the Avalanche going toe-to-toe and keeping each other in check — including on each team’s lone power play.

Artturi Lehkonen set up the icebreaker, backhanding the puck away from Kaprizov deep in Wild territory and toward the front of the net where a wide-open MacKinnon whacked a shot by Wallstedt with 5 minutes, 6 seconds to go in the first period.

But Kaprizov would atone for the miscue.

Zeev Buium’s centering pass deflected off Kaprizov’s left skate 12 minutes into the second period to wrap Colorado’s shutout streak at 221:42.

The goal was Kaprizov’s 200th with the Wild, one more than Parise, and he’d also move by Mikko Koivu for the most home goals in team history with 114.

Kaprizov is the fourth-fastest player drafted in the fifth round or later to reach 200 career goals, his 344-game feat following Brett Hull (280), Luc Robitaille (323) and Pavel Bure (328).

Then with 1:57 to go in the period, Kaprizov buried his team-leading 16th goal off a wrap-around pass by Ryan Hartman, who returned after missing the previous four games because of an injury.

Turning point

As expected, the Avalanche didn’t fade, and they answered back 11:08 into the third period when Gabriel Landeskog lifted in a back-post shot.

The photo finish was fitting, with the stalemate persisting through overtime and not getting resolved until Zuccarello and Boldy converted in the shootout. After Martin Necas connected for Colorado, Wallstedt stopped MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood finished with 35 saves.

Up next

The Wild will be right back at Grand Casino Arena Saturday night to take on the Sabres.