DENVER: Carl Soderberg had two power-play goals, Nathan MacKinnon also scored with the man-advantage and added two assists, and the Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 7-2 on Saturday night.

Mikko Rantanen also had a goal and two assists, and Gabriel Bourque and Patrik Nemeth each scored in the opening period for the Avalanche, who extended their season-best winning streak to five games in front of a raucous crowd at the Pepsi Center. Tyson Jost added the final goal in the third and Jonathan Bernier stopped 34 shots while filling in for starter Semyon Varlamov for the second straight game.

Colorado won five of six on its homestand and now heads into its bye week with 22 wins and 47 points. The Avalanche totaled just 22 wins and 48 points last season.

Emotions boiled over in the third when Colorado center Alexander Kerfoot bumped into Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk in the net. The frustrated Wild netminder then jumped on the back of Kerfoot and appeared to punch him in the head.

Not long after, MacKinnon scored the Avalanche’s third power-play goal of the game 7:17 into the period to make 6-2, and Dubnyk was pulled.

Eric Staal scored in the final minute in each of the first two periods and Dubnyk made 26 saves before being relieved by Alex Stalock in the third for Minnesota. Stalock stopped five of the six shots he faced as the Wild dropped to 8-13-1 on the road.

Soderberg scored his first goal 8:03 into the second and Rantanen added to it with 3:41 remaining in the period to put Colorado up 4-1. Soderberg’s second goal was the first of three for Colorado in a heated final period.

Earlier, Bourque opened the scoring with his first goal of the season on a feed by Colin Wilson 7:38 into the game. The Avalanche added to it with 1:44 left in the period when MacKinnon dropped a no-look pass back to Nemeth, who shot through traffic and beat Dubnyk over his right shoulder.

Immediately afterward, Dubnyk angrily slammed his stick into the post.

Associated Press