DENVER _ Wild coach Bruce Boudreau called a timeout, and players huddled around the bench to hear his message.
The deficit was only two goals, and there was more than enough time to erase it.
But this break to refocus didn't help spur the Wild.
Instead, it only got worse.
Amid a dynamic effort from their top line, the Avalanche toppled the Wild, 7-1, Friday at Pepsi Center to seal a pointless two-game trek for the visitors and put a dent in the progress recently accomplished with a season-best five-game run.
This was the first time since Dec. 22 and 23 the Wild came up empty handed in consecutive games.
Center and Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and racked up five points, and each of his linemates _ captain Gabriel Landeskog and winger Mikko Rantanen _ chipped in a goal. Overall, the unit combined for 10 points.
More than flexing their talent and stoking their own playoff pursuit, the Avalanche aimed a spotlight on the flaws that have undermined the Wild of late: poor puck control and a lack of execution.
The latter was a leading culprit in the 5-3 loss to the last-place Coyotes the night before in Arizona, but both were tough to overcome in Colorado.
Actually, the team's last two visits to Denver have been unflattering. The Wild were rolled 7-2 in this building Jan. 6 and though the rematch was hyped as a chance for redemption, the team once again struggled to contain the Avalanche's speed and aggressiveness with the puck _ a combination that the clubs relevant in the spring will probably possess.
Landeskog started the onslaught 9 minutes, 42 seconds into the first with a deflection while his back was to the net. Just 2:26 later, MacKinnon roofed a shot top-shelf on the power play after the Wild failed to clear the zone earlier in the sequence.
That's when Boudreau paused the action, talking to his group before sending it back out to play. And though the team was able to prevent the Avalanche from growing their lead the rest of the period, it imploded in the second.
Defenseman Tyson Barrie snuck into the slot to wire a shot by goalie Devan Dubnyk at 5:54 before MacKinnon, who helped set up Barrie's tally, scored five-hole at 8:08.
The Wild challenged the play to determine if it was off-side, and it looked like the team had a case with Rantanen trying to clear the zone to tag up before the puck reentered.
But video review determined the goal was legit, and the Wild were dinged with a penalty for delay of game. Colorado didn't convert on the ensuing advantage _ the team finished 1 for 3, while the Wild blanked on their three chances _ but they tacked on a fourth only 2:31 after MacKinnon's goal.
After spinning along the wall, center Carl Soderberg unleashed a backhand on net and it slipped between the post and Dubnyk's right leg.
That was it for Dubnyk, who was also pulled in that previous loss in January. He exited with 12 saves, and backup Alex Stalock stopped seven in mop-up duty.
Stalock gave up the Avalanche's sixth at 12:40 when Rantanen buried a rebound to cap off four Colorado goals in 6:46.
Before the period mercifully ended for the Wild, captain Mikko Koivu sabotaged goalie Semyon Varlamov's shutout bid with 2:53 to go on his third goal in as many games. Varlamov ended up with 29 saves.
The Avalanche issued their reply 7:46 into the third on a one-timer from winger Matt Nieto.
