Kaprizov gets Wild going in 5-1 win to hand the Avs their first playoff loss

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored first and assisted on the next two goals as the Minnesota Wild forced a goalie change and handed the Colorado Avalanche their first loss in this post-season with a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of their second-round NHL playoff series on Saturday night.

Quinn Hughes followed Kaprizov’s four-on-four score late in the first period with a four-on-three goal less than two minutes later. Ryan Hartman batted in a deflected power-play shot with 4:23 elapsed in the second period to prompt an early departure for Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who was replaced by Mackenzie Blackwood.

Nathan MacKinnon got the Avalanche on the board on a power play later in the second period before Brock Faber answered just 20 seconds later by deflecting a puck past Blackwood.

Matt Boldy added an empty-net goal and Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves in his return to the net for the Wild after a 9-6 loss in the unhinged series opener prompted a start for Filip Gustavsson in Game 2.