DENVER – The Wild won't be returning home empty-handed.
They snapped a three-game losing streak by stymieing the high-flying Avalanche 3-1 on Monday afternoon at Ball Arena to earn a split on their road trip.
Yakov Trenin broke a 1-1 tie 2 minutes, 8 seconds into the third period before a buffer goal by Brock Faber only 1:35 later to preserve a defensive clinic against Colorado. The Avalanche had a measly four shots almost halfway through the game and didn't hit double digits until late in the second.
This was indicative of a stingy setup by the Wild, who were much cleaner in their own zone than the 6-1 rout by Colorado at Xcel Energy Center on Jan. 9 and Nashville's more recent 6-2 drubbing on Saturday to kick off this trip.
As a result, the Wild's 1-0 lead held for a while.
At 12:18 of the first period, rookie Liam Ohgren sent a pass to Jake Middleton at the left point and he threaded a shot through traffic.
The Wild had four ensuing power plays to widen their lead but whiffed on all of them, with Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood making his best saves shorthanded: He made a sharp pad save to deny David Jiricek later in the first, robbed Joel Eriksson Ek with a glove and then kept out a near-side attempt by Ohgren on the Wild's fourth power play. Colorado also blanked on its three power plays.
Meanwhile, at 5-on-5, the Avalanche weren't applying consistent pressure, but they connected with 1:08 to go in the second to ignite their comeback. After Middleton lost an edge, Nathan MacKinnon skated into the middle and wired the puck by Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for MacKinnon's NHL-leading 74th point.
But the Wild were more assertive to start the third: Trenin buried a slick pass from Jiricek, who pinched then veered around the Colorado defense before finding Trenin. Ohgren also picked up an assist on the play for his first career multi-point game.
Then Faber converted from the same area at 3:43 in his second game back from injury.
Fleury, who was making a second consecutive start, totaled 26 saves. He was backed up by Filip Gustavsson, who was too ill to suit up against the Predators. Blackwood made 23 stops.

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