ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild] (22-10-5) didn’t see its seven-game winning streak end because the structure disappeared or the process unraveled. Minnesota lost because, on this night, the Avalanche’s stars decided the game. Minnesota's didn't. That’s the simplest and most honest way to explain a 5-1 loss that never truly swung back within reach. Colorado Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche] (26-2-7) didn’t need extended stretches of domination. They needed moments. And when those moments arrived, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar took over in ways that only the league’s elite can. MacKinnon scored twice, exploding through seams before Minnesota could recover. Makar finished with three points and dictated the game from the blue line. Makar had seven shot, MacKinnon had four, Martin Necas had three and Gabe Landeskog had four. Their stars showed up and took over. For most of December, Minnesota has lived on the opposite side of that equation. They’ve won games by controlling matchups and forcing opponents to solve problems over and over again. Against Colorado, that margin evaporated. The Wild’s top players were held in check. Kirill Kaprizov was unable to find his usual scoring touch. Matt Boldy, who entered the night with points in four straight games and seven of his previous eight, was kept off the scoresheet entirely. The looks were limited, the time was scarce, and the Avalanche rarely allowed either player to dictate shifts on their terms. That contrast defined the night. "Yeah, I thought obviously Colorado played really well," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "But I just thought for us, I thought our compete and our want was there. I just felt we were just like a step slow and a step off all night, whether it’s in the speed in which we played with. Our skating, our execution, we were just a little bit of a step behind in those situations." Games between elite teams often come down to which stars can tilt the ice. That gap was most noticeable when comparing the two blue lines. Quinn Hughes finished the night minus-1 with no points. It wasn’t a disastrous game, but it wasn’t a controlling one either. Hughes moved the puck efficiently and defended within the system, but he never changed the game’s direction. Makar did. If this game served as a measuring stick between elite defensemen, the result was clear. Makar tilted the ice. Hughes didn’t. That doesn’t redefine either player long-term, but it mattered in this matchup. Minnesota didn’t unravel after falling behind, but it also never made Colorado uncomfortable. The Avalanche took advantage of mistakes when they appeared and turned small breakdowns into goals. The Wild, meanwhile, had possession but struggled to turn it into sustained pressure or momentum. Colorado scored two on the power play from their stars. The Wild went 0-for-3 on the man advantage. “Yeah I think especially if you play the night before you need every ounce of energy that you can get and obviously killing usually takes a lot guys’ energy away, especially guys like Ek and Bolds," Nico Sturm said. "They play a lot of heavy 5-on-5 minutes against their best men and then they gotta use some of that energy out on the kill and obviously they’re extremely lethal. "They got five shooting options on the power play and they were able to convert on some of those. Ideally, we’d like to kill one more of those. I think it was just overall those details matter. You might get away with it against a different team, but obviously not tonight.” This wasn’t Minnesota drifting away from its game. The structure was there. The discipline was there. What wasn’t there were the small, decisive moments that swing games between top teams. Colorado is one of the few teams that can still break through when space is tight and time is limited. “We’re positive where we’re at," Sturm said on how the team is playing. "That being said, we’ll still look at this game. We don’t use yesterday having played and them being fresh as an excuse. We’ll look at the mistakes we made and why we weren’t able to – you look at last game we played them was a close game as well. The difference is we did those little details right. We didn’t make those little mistakes that cost us. But overall yeah we like where we’re at and it’s a sign of a good team also to flush stuff like this and show up on Tuesday for the last game before the little break and take care of business and get some points in the bank.” The Wild still come out of the game confident in how they’re playing, but with a clear reminder of the standard in the Central Division. Against teams like the Avalanche, structure can keep you close. It can’t win the game by itself. You need your star players to take over. On Saturday night, Colorado’s best players took it. Minnesota’s didn’t. That’s why the streak ended. "I don't think anyone cares when you lose. But it’s one of those days when you don’t have your A game and you meet a team like that," Mats Zuccarello said. "We gotta be honest and say they deserved the win today." For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com. Nathan MacKinnon Leads Avalanche Into St. Paul For A Huge Matchup [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/0b6f4357-eb17-4eb5-bede-237e9458fc0b.jpeg] Nathan MacKinnon Leads Avalanche Into St. Paul For A Huge Matchup The red-hot Wild host MacKinnon's Avalanche in a clash of titans. Minnesota aims to repeat their streak-snapping victory. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/nathan-mackinnon-leads-avalanche-into-st-paul-for-a-huge-matchup] - 'You Want To Get Out Of Your Zone': Why Quinn Hughes Changes The Game For The Wild. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/you-want-to-get-out-of-your-zone-why-quinn-hughes-changes-the-game-for-the-wild] - 'We Want To Compete For The Stanley Cup': Why Bill Guerin Went All In. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/we-want-to-compete-for-the-stanley-cup-why-bill-guerin-went-all-in-and-why-he-has-no-regrets] - Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver For Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi And More. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/breaking-wild-acquire-quinn-hughes-from-vancouver-sending-marco-rossi-zeev-buium-plus-more] - When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/when-the-ice-shrinks-the-wild-s-game-is-built-to-hold-up] - 'Sometimes You Gotta Look Yourself In The Mirror': Matt Boldy's Message Has Now Become The Wild's Mantra. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/latest-news/sometimes-you-gotta-look-yourself-in-the-mirror-matt-boldy-s-message-has-now-become-the-wild-s-mantra]
