Wild can’t stop Avalanche again, lose 5-2 in Game 2: Takeaways

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Minnesota Wild are halfway to the start of their summer vacation after losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of their Western Conference Second Round series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night. This one wasn’t a track meet like their 9-6 loss in Game 1 on Saturday. But the end result was the same — a three-goal loss in which the Wild couldn’t stop Avs stars Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.

MacKinnon, who finished third in the NHL in scoring during the regular season, had his second straight one-goal, two-assist night, while Necas scored the game’s first goal and set up another. Gabriel Landeskog, Nicolas Roy and Valeri Nichushkin also scored for the Avs, the NHL’s top team during the regular season. Scott Wedgewood won his sixth game in as many tries, making 29 saves.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Wild got a first-period goal by Kirill Kaprizov and one with 5:27 left in the third period by Marcus Johansson, but that wasn’t nearly enough against the NHL’s highest-scoring team during the regular season. The series takes a three-day break before moving to Grand Casino Arena for Game 3 on Saturday. The extra day off is necessitated by the Minnesota Frost’s PWHL playoff games Thursday and Friday.

It will give coach John Hynes some more time to try to figure out how to shut down the Avs, who’ve scored 14 goals in the first two games. Goaltender change doesn’t help Wild in Game 2 loss The Wild changed goaltenders after their Game 1 loss. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt took a seat and veteran Filip Gustavsson got his first start since April 13.