With veteran defensemen Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon all missing with various ailments and newcomer David Jiricek making his Wild debut, the back end was sure to be at least part

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and his NHL-leading 53rd assist of the season to help the Colorado Avalanche rout the Minnesota Wild 6-1 on Thursday night.

The Colorado Avalanche finish their first back-to-back series of the new year 1-1-0. After a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, they came ready to play against the Minnesota Wild, who currently sit at 4th in the league and 2nd in the western conference.

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.

Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin will both be unavailable when the Minnesota Wild take on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Wild head into a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche as winners of four games in a row. Minnesota has gone 26-11-4 overall with a 9-4-2 record in Central Division games. The Wild have a +16 scoring differential, with 125 total goals scored and 109 allowed.

The Minnesota Wild hosted the Colorado Avalanche for their first season meeting on Thursday evening, Jan. 9. The Wild were still without Kirill Kaprizov, Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon, and Jakub Lauko.

Prediction for the NHL Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche match will occur on January 10. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

The Edmonton Oilers haven't enjoyed home cooking for a while, and it will be a few more days before they unpack their bags.