DENVER _ While scaling the standings in recent weeks to rejoin the playoff race in the Western Conference, the Wild improved several early-season issues.
The offense became more consistent, their defending tighter, and resilient replaced vulnerable as the team's calling card.
But one area the Wild have yet to correct is their play against their rivals.
In their first game back after a three-day holiday break, the Wild had a chance to address that mismatch and they did _ eking out a 6-4 win over the Avalanche Friday at Pepsi Center to sit 3-8-1 vs. the Central Division after the competitive clash.
Center Victor Rask scored 11 minutes, 58 seconds into the third, the second of three Wild goals in the period that overcame an early deficit and ultimately broke a stalemate that had the teams neck-and-neck after the first two periods.
A back-and-forth struggle didn't look like it'd be on the night's agenda based on how the game started.
The Wild were in control for much of the first period, building an impressive 2-0 lead while outworking the Avalanche.
At 5:33, defenseman Carson Soucy converted on a wrist shot through traffic for his eighth point in his last 12 games. Soucy's five goals rank fourth in team history for most by a rookie defenseman in a season.
Center Eric Staal scored his team-leading 15th goal at 9:22, poking in a rebound from a Kevin Fiala shot that slipped through Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz. Not only was the goal Staal's second in as many games, but he now has seven in his past eight.
With an assist on the first two goals, Fiala has earned 15 points in his last 17 games _ a run in which he's recorded three multi-point efforts.
But the Wild let their grip slip in the waning minutes of the frame.
After a Soucy interference penalty gave the Avalanche offensive-zone time that it previously lacked, Colorado capitalized soon after its power play expired _ a tip at 18:24 by winger Matt Calvert, who was posted in front of goalie Devan Dubnyk.
Then, just 46 seconds later, the Avalanche evened it when captain Gabriel Landeskog scooped up a neutral-zone turnover by the Wild, split their defense and slid a backhander around Dubnyk.
The Wild appeared to retake the lead on a shot by center Joel Eriksson Ek off the rush at 8:32 of the second, but the goal was disallowed after the Avalanche issued a coach's challenge to check if the play was offside and video review determined winger Marcus Foligno was.
Later in the second, the Wild did move ahead 3-2 on a power play point shot by defenseman Brad Hunt at 11:18 _ the team's lone goal with the man advantage in two tries. The Avalanche went 0 for 2.
But another last-minute goal stung the Wild, tying the score again.
This time, center Nathan MacKinnon redirected in a puck off his skate with 48 seconds to go.
Colorado grabbed its first lead of the game only 1:33 into the third on another deflection by Calvert.
That didn't deter the Wild.
By 10:41, winger Mats Zuccarello made it 4-4 when he buried the rebound off a Jonas Brodin shot _ a finish that paved the way for Rask's game-winner, which came on a solid individual effort that started in the neutral zone.
Defenseman Ryan Suter added an empty-net goal with 1:12 remaining.
Dubnyk ended up with 40 saves. Francouz had 27.
