Wild win seventh straight with 3-2 shootout victory over Colorado

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had two goals in regulation, Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy scored in the shootout, and the Minnesota Wild extended their winning streak to seven games with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

Minnesota, a league-best 11-1-1 in November, got 39 saves from Jesper Wallstedt, who won his sixth straight start and improved to 7-0-2 this season.

The loss was the first in 11 games for Colorado, now 10-0-2 in November.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and assist, and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche. Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 shots, but his career-high eight-game winning streak ended.

The game was the eighth time in NHL history each team had a winning streak of six-plus contests entering play. The last was Jan. 7, 2020, when Tampa Bay and Vancouver met with seven-game streaks.

With the teams tied 1-1 in the shootout, Boldy beat Wedgewood in the third round and Wallstedt made a glove save on Cale Makar.

Landeskog tied the game with less than nine minutes to play in regulation, outmuscling Brock Faber for a puck at the right post and lifting it past Wallstedt.

MacKinnon became the first NHL player to reach 40 points this season with his first-period goal. Alone in the crease, MacKinnon was the beneficiary of Artturi Lehkonen forcing a blind pass by Kaprizov from the wall.

Kaprizov evened the game 12 minutes into the second period with his 200th career goal, coming down the slot to tip in a pass from Zeev Buium. Kaprizov’s 114th career home goal set a franchise record.

It was the first goal allowed in four games by the Avalanche, who set a franchise record of 221:42 without giving up a goal.

Kaprizov converted a feed from Ryan Hartman with 1:57 left in the second period for a 2-1 Minnesota lead.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Montreal on Saturday.

Wild: Host Buffalo on Saturday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl