Wild's leaky defense continues in 6-3 loss to Avalanche; 20 goals given up in three games

How's it going for the Wild?

Like this: Just seconds after Frederick Gaudreau had the potential game-tying goal roll off his stick and bypass an empty net, Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon scored to start putting the finishing touches on a 6-3 victory for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

That wasn't the only momentum swing that went against the Wild on Monday night in front of an announced 17,437 at Xcel Energy Center, but it was a significant one that helped deepen the team's season-opening rut to 0-3.

Not only that, but the Wild still hasn't had a lead.

"We're in a funk right now," Calen Addison said.

The Wild trailed 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-2 and 4-3 before MacKinnon's insurance marker on the power play (14 minutes, 54 seconds of the third period) and a shorthanded empty-netter from Valeri Nichushkin, the 20th goal charged to the Wild.

"It's on the goalie," coach Dean Evason said. "It's on the defense. It's on the forwards. It's on the coaches. It's on all of us. We're giving up way too many goals."

The first blip against the Wild came only 3:30 into the first period when a deflection by former Gophers captain Ben Meyers sailed over Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson and dropped into the net.

"I think it hit [Matt] Dumba in the shoulder," Gustavsson said, "and I couldn't find it at all."

Only 44 seconds later, Kirill Kaprizov one-timed in an Addison pass during a delayed penalty to the Avalanche. After that, the Wild were in control and even hemming Colorado in its own zone. But they still went into the intermission down after a backhander by Samuel Girard slipped by Gustavsson.

"We deserved better today," Gustavsson said. "I hope the players know that we goalies are going to make more saves next time."

At 6:09 of the second, the Wild pulled even again when Joel Eriksson Ek tipped in an Addison shot on the power play.

But another quirky goal stung the Wild: At 4-on-4, 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.

"We didn't give up much chances, then the hockey gods wanted to try our mental strength with a few bad bounces," said Gustavsson, who finished with 32 saves compared to 36 for the Avalanche's Alexandar Georgiev.

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 at 4:17 that redirected in off Colorado's Devon Toews. Addison's assist was his third 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, but the advantage was negated because they had too many men on the ice while reorganizing. They also delayed another power play opportunity late in the game by holding onto the puck instead of yielding possession to the Avalanche to elicit a whistle and get set up.

"You give them the puck," Evason said. "For us right now when I'm saying things go sideways a little bit, you're not thinking straight for whatever reason. Of course, our guys know. Of course, we've talked about it. Since they've been peewees, they know: Give them the puck."

Considering how effective the Wild were on the power play (2-for-4 and Colorado only 1-for-2), either situation might have been the boost the team needed had they panned out differently.

Instead, they were just another turn of a pendulum that keeps going against the Wild.

"There's crazy bounces whether we should've scored or they shouldn't have scored," Addison said. "You can look at it a million different ways. That's just part of a hockey season. There's a lot of ups and downs. We've just got to keep doing what we're doing, and we can't dwell on things like that."