Devan Dubnyk won a Minnesota Wild franchise single-season record 38th game on Sunday, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 at Xcel Energy Center. Five different Wild skaters scored in the victory.
It was all Minnesota from the early going in this one, as the Wild jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first period. Martin Hanzal and Jared Spurgeon scored 23 seconds apart to give Minnesota an early advantage. Gabriel Landeskog answered to cut the lead in half late in the period, but Erik Haula netted a rebound with only 20 seconds to play in the period to keep Minnesota comfortably ahead.
Zach Parise scored early in the second to chase Calvin Pickard from Colorado’s net. The Wild weren’t finished scoring, though. Jordan Schroeder scored later in the period to stretch the Minnesota lead to 5-1. Mikko Rantanen notched the game’s final score later in the period to bring Colorado within three. Dubnyk made 30 saves, including 11 in a clean third period, to earn the record-setting victory.
Colorado’s tough finish against division foes continues on Tuesday. The Avs host the best team in the West, Chicago, before the Wild close out Colorado’s home schedule on Thursday. The Avs finish the season on the road with games at Dallas and St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday.
