DENVER _ With the Western Conference playoff race snarling like stop-and-go traffic during rush hour, nothing is given with 32 games to go.
But the Minnesota Wild guaranteed it'll maintain possession of the third seed in the Central Division when it resumes play after an eight-day break that includes the NHL All-Star Game.
That's because the team shrugged off the Avalanche 5-2 Wednesday at Pepsi Center, going into the layoff on a three-game win streak that sealed a three-point cushion over Colorado and another division rival in Dallas.
This push, which culminated in 55 points and started with a 2-1 victory on home ice Saturday over the Columbus Blue Jackets and continued Monday in Vegas amid a 4-2 rally over the Golden Knights, has been sparked by the team's leaders _ an encouraging sign for when the group reconvenes Feb.1 against the Dallas Stars.
Center Eric Staal scored twice and assisted on another, winger Charlie Coyle delivered his second goal in as many games and defenseman Ryan Suter turned in a goal and an assist to go along with a game-high 28 minutes.
Add in 20 saves by goalie Devan Dubnyk, who improved to 6-1 in his last seven road contests, and the Wild followed up a miserable December with a respectable January at 8-4.
Twice the team had to play catch-up against the Avalanche.
After center Carl Soderberg finished off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence 5 minutes, 42 seconds into the first period, Staal responded at 6:50 when he redirected in a Coyle pass off a Colorado turnover.
The Avalanche retook the lead on a power-play shot from defenseman Tyson Barrie at 12:40, but the frame ended 2-2 once Jared Spurgeon buried a give-and-go with Suter with 3:33 to go.
Spurgeon has 10 points, including four goals, in his last 12 games, ranking tied for second among NHL defensemen in goals and tied for fifth in points in that span.
In the second, winger Pontus Aberg kept the play alive in the Avalanche's zone with a save at the blue line during a Wild power play _ which led to a holding penalty by defenseman Ian Cole.
During the ensuing 5-on-3 advantage, the Wild capitalized on what felt like a 5-on-2 since winger Matt Calvert was without a stick _ leaving Staal open for another put-back at 7:24 off a pass by winger Mikael Granlund that came after another keep-in by Aberg.
Staal has three goals in his last two games and nine points in his past six.
Despite blanking on a four-minute power play later in the period, the Wild still grew its cushion after an impressive sequence of shot blocks in its own zone by defenseman Nick Seeler _ who had three _ and winger Marcus Foligno.
Once the puck transitioned up ice, winger Zach Parise eventually retrieved it along the boards and fed Coyle for a one-timer as he crashed the net at 19:37 for his second goal in as many games after securing the game-winner against the Golden Knights. It also signaled his fourth point in the last three games.
The Wild was awarded another 5-on-3 look in the third, and it capitalized again _ this time on a rising shot from Suter at 8:13 that was also coordinated by Granlund and Aberg. Suter's goal, his sixth, matched his output from last season.
Goalie Philipp Grubauer totaled 23 saves.
Overall, the Wild's power play went 2-for-6; the Avalanche went 1-for-2.
