The Wild did a lot of roster manipulation to get David Jiricek onto the roster for his NHL debut. The right-shot former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman was by far the Wild’s best and somehow wasn’t on for a goal against in 16 minutes.

Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Logan O'Connor each had a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche cruised to a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

ST PAUL, Minn. — 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. Mikko Rantanan and Logan O’Connor also each had a goal and an assist, Ross Colton, Parker Kelly and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves.

Mikko Rantanan and Logan O ... for the second straight game for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson stopped 21 of 27 shots. Leading 2-1 in the second period, MacKinnon fed a pass into the slot on a 2-on-2 rush. Rantanen converted on a wrist shot past a screened ...

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.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Logan O'Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Colorado Avalanche in a 6-1 win at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.

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

Mikko Rantanan ... game for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson stopped 21 of 27 shots. Leading 2-1 in the second period, MacKinnon fed a pass into the slot on a 2-on-2 rush. Rantanen converted on a ...

Mikko Rantanan ... game for the Wild. Filip Gustavsson stopped 21 of 27 shots. Leading 2-1 in the second period, MacKinnon fed a pass into the slot on a 2-on-2 rush. Rantanen converted on a ...

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?

MacKinnon is the most likely Avalanche player to take advantage of a Wild defense that is bleeding shots. Not only is he the best shot-generator on the team, but the Wild have allowed the second-most shots to centers in the NHL over the past few weeks.

Tyler Herro scored 23 points and Jaime Jaquez had 20, including five in the final 1:03, to lead the Miami Heat to a 97-92 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. In a ragged game with 31 combined turnovers and both teams shooting under 40%,