Minnesota Wild suffers defeat in Denver – playoff race is shaky!

Minnesota Wild suffers defeat in Denver – playoff race is shaky!

In an exciting duel in the Central Division, the NHL team Minnesota Wild suffered another defeat. A catastrophic 1:6 against Utah was followed by a 2:5 against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Tuesday evening. Despite a strong performance from 23-year-old ÖEHV star Marco Rossi, who contributed to the Wild's 2-1 win with his 30th assist of the season, the team ultimately couldn't keep up. Rossi, who acted as a “second assist” on a power play goal by Vincent Hinostroza in the 18th minute, showed his potential, but the Avalanche turned the game around in the second period and gave the Wild few chances.

Under pressure

The Avalanche took control in the second period and scored four goals in 40 minutes of play. The Wild were pinned down in their own zone and the defense struggled to withstand pressure from Colorado. “They were just quicker in the transitions,” said Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, commenting on the Avalanche’s performance. What was particularly bitter for the Wild were the three power play chances in the final third, in which they didn't even fire a shot at Colorado's goal. While the Avalanche had a commanding 2:3 rate on their power plays, Minnesota only managed to succeed once in three attempts.

With their loss, the Wild drop to fifth place in the Western Conference standings with 72 points, but while they remain in the playoff race, the competition remains strong. Team performance, particularly compared to the top teams in the Western Conference, is a point of concern as Minnesota now has a record of 3-9-1 against elite teams Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas and Winnipeg, reported startribune.com. The pressure is growing as the team needs a turnaround to compete for the playoff spots.