DENVER -- Yakov Trenin and Brock Faber scored 1:35 apart in the third period for the Minnesota Wild, who pulled away from the Colorado Avalanche for a 3-1 win at Ball Arena on Monday. Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist, and Liam Ohgren had two assists for the Wild (28-15-4), who had lost three straight games. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves.

Yakov Trenin scored early in the third period and Brock Faber added an insurance goal shortly thereafter to preserve a defensive clinic against Colorado.

MacKinnon is the most likely Avalanche player to take advantage of a Wild defense that is bleeding shots. Not only is he the best shot-generator on the team, but the Wild have allowed the second-most shots to centers in the NHL over the past few weeks.

With a big two points on the line, the Avalanche came out flat in each period and had one of their worst low-event offensive games of the season.

The Avalanche lost 3-1 to the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena on Monday. Nathan MacKinnon scored for Colorado while Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves inclduing two highlight-reel stops. Minnesota's Jake Middleton opened the scoring at 12:18 of the first period with a wrist shot through traffic from the point.