ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Wild fell 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche inside Xcel Energy Center on Thursday in what very well could be the final blow to their playoff hopes, but it wasn't for a lack of scoring opportunities, or a lack of trying.
The Wild had a season-high 46 shots on Thursday and tested Avalanche backup goalie Justus Annunen all night long. That was especially true in the final two periods with 35 shots, but Annunen stood tall and proved to be the difference-maker in just his 12th game this season and 15th of his NHL career.
The 24-year-old made 44 stops and saved 3.04 goals above expected, according to Natural Stat Trick, while Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 of 34 for the Wild.
“I thought their goaltender was a big difference in the game,” Wild coach John Hynes said postgame. “I thought both goaltenders played well, but I thought their guy made a lot of key saves at key times. We had really good offensive pressure, lots of good scoring opportunities, high quality opportunities in really all situations and couldn't find a way to get it in the back in the net.”
It's true. The Wild had scoring chance after scoring chance and pressured heavily in the second and third periods, but they faced a 3-1 deficit.
Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring 4:34 into the contest and while Vinni Lettieri tied the game 3:31 later, Jonathan Drouin scored on the power play with 7:32 left in the first and then gave the Avalanche a two-goal lead with a tally just 43 seconds into the second.
“They just don’t stop,” Declan Chisholm said of the Avalanche, who scored more than two goals for just the second time in their past five games. “They’re all very good skaters, and they’re just consistent on the forecheck. They’re coming, and they don’t stop. So any turnover is going to be a pretty good chance, and they’re going hard to the net.”
Chisholm cut the deficit in half with a power play goal midway through the second, but the Wild failed to find the back of the net after that.
Nathan MacKinnon effectively sealed the game by scoring 6:32 into the third to put Colorado back up two, and Mikko Rantanen added an empty net goal.
The Wild had plenty of opportunities Thursday and were generating offense in every situation with 12 combined shots between four second-period power plays and 34 shots at even-strength.
The Wild's most dangerous offensive weapons in Joel Eriksson Ek (7), Matt Boldy (6), Mats Zuccarello (5) and Kirill Kaprizov (4) combined for 22 shots on Annunen, yet they all had nothing to show for it on the scoresheet.
“We definitely had our chances,” Chisholm said.
“We just couldn't get through,” Gustavsson said.
“Their goalie played well,” Boldy said. “Some nights go like that where the puck doesn’t go in.”
The Wild are left to find solace in the fact that they put themselves in a position to win with 46 shots and played well against one of the NHL's best.
“I thought our guys played hard and battled back, and the game was right in the balance,” Hynes said. “Again, we had opportunities to probably increase the lead, tie, increase the lead, we weren't able to do that. But it wasn't from a lack of opportunities or lack of effort.
“I don't want to say lack of effort. I don't think we really ever have a lack of effort. But, we had some good offensive pressure and some of the details that we didn't like the other night were much better and therefore we were able to generate a lot more.”
The Wild, who are 2-1-2 so far on this six-game homestand, face the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday afternoon before heading on the road for five games.
“We’re all working really hard, and there’s still belief in this room,” Chisholm said, but he added that “the loss obviously hurts.”
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