We just put Nashville behind (us) quickly and regrouped,” Marc-Andre Fleury said, after he tied Martin Brodeur for the most seasons with 10 or more wins by a goalie in NHL history with 20.

Logan O’Connor put the Avs on the board first with his fifth of the season at 3:46 of the opening period. Josh Manson caught the Wild in the middle of a line change and turned a Minnesota clearing attempt into a pass to O’Connor behind the defense.

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen tallied a goal and an assist during Thursday's victory over the Minnesota Wild. Rantanen would score in the second period on a wrist shot. Later in the third,

The Wild held two separate leads before falling to Connor McDavid and the Oilers, losing Marcus Johansson along the way.

It was also the turning point of a 6-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy ... Nathan MacKinnon left a drop pass for Mikko Rantanen, who scored a filthy goal through a screen to ...

Even with that talent, the Avalanche have yet to solve Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, who leads all NHL goalies in wins (28), save percentage (.927), goals-against average (2.02) and shutouts (six). Two of those shutouts have come against Colorado, and he could be back in net after allowing four goals to Utah.

The Colorado Avalanche has hit a snag on its potential climb to the top of the Central Division, and the most surprising part is what’s currently the biggest issue. When the Avs stumbled to a 14-13 start,

On Sunday, the Minnesota Wild announced that exciting prospect Liam Öhgren would return to the lineup from his stint in Iowa. The most inspiring part of the news? Öhgren was going to get an opportunity in the team’s top six.

Instead, the Avs operated with the urgency of Eeyore. And the crowd wasn’t exactly buzzing either. For long stretches, the only sound was sticks clicking the ice. Close your eyes and it was hard to tell if this was Ball Arena or a Family Sports Center practice.

It has been two months since we did a Wild mailbag and several months since we did an ‘Ask Russo and Smith’ mailbag, but with Joe back on the clock, there’s no better time to answer many of your questions.

The Colorado Avalanche (28-18-1) continue their homestand against the Minnesota Wild (27-15-4) in another matinee matchup at Ball Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 1:08 p.m. MT. READ MORE: How Will Jared Bednar Spend His Time During 4 Nations?