DENVER – The Wild left for Colorado on a roll and sitting in second place in the West Division.
But that's not how the team returned to Minnesota.
After getting creamed not once but twice by the Avalanche — most recently 6-0 Saturday in a matinee at Ball Arena — the Wild lost its mojo and its spot in the standings.
Now, the team trails No. 2 Colorado by three points.
"We have some work to do, clearly," Jordan Greenway said. "But we'll play them again. I think we'll have a better showing, for sure."
During the two-game sweep, the Avalanche showed why it's contending for the division title and a Stanley Cup.
With one of the best lines in hockey, an active defense and steady goaltending, Colorado didn't present any glaring holes in its game. The Wild, especially, had a tough time with the Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen trio, which combined for 17 points in the series.
"Each one of those guys is tough to knock off the puck," Zach Parise said. "When they're on, it just feels like they're constantly on a power play."