In Denver, the Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin returned to the bench on Friday night, and promptly scored off the power play in extra time to give the Avs a 2-1 win over the visiting Minnesota Wild. 
“It’s great to have him back, and it’s great to see the support he’s getting, too, from our fans,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It can help a guy mentally when he’s feeling supported by the community and by our fans. I think it’s important, and to be able to come out after not playing for as long as it’s been for him and then go out and get the OT winner, I mean no better start to his return.”
He missed 22 games on the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Alexandar Georgiev made 29 saves in the win.
The Avs improved to 40-20-5 off their third straight win.
Nathan MacKinnon had two assists in the game to stretch his home point streak to 32 games, he has scored in every Avs home game this season.
“It’s a tough game to play. Four new faces, or five with Val coming back, and that’s how it usually goes,” MacKinnon said. “Guys are trying to be nice and make extra passes to each other, I think, and that’s just guys being good teammates and trying to be nice to each other. But we got simpler as the game went on, and we really started to get our forecheck going and had a ton of chances in the third. I thought we played a great third.”
Artturi Lehkonen staked the Avs to a 1-0 lead with just 40 seconds gone in the opening stanza.
“It was a great pass from Nate,” Lehkonen said. “I was all by myself in front of the net. So, I just tried to slide it underneath. Of course, it’s a good thing to start off a game when you get the lead.”
The Wild dropped to 30-27-7.
“I thought it was a hard-fought battle by both teams, and it was highly competitive,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “I thought both teams had some strong pushes. I was proud of our effort, coming in here in a back-to-back. Three out of four points on this road trip, going through the things.
“We weren’t a team that added what you think you’d get a boost [from], but I really give our guys a lot of credit in the way that they stayed focused over the last couple of days and played some pretty good hockey.”
Brock Faber scored midway through the second period to tie the game, 1-1, forcing the extra session after a scoreless third period.
“[Georgiev] was great. I don’t know much about him I guess, as a whole, but first impression was very impressive,” Casey Mittelstadt said in his first game Colorado since being trade. “He set the bar extremely high. He was great tonight, and obviously Gustavsson was good on the other side.”
Filip Gustavsson made 38 saves in the loss.
“Tough back-to-back against a good, fresh hockey team,” Faber said. “It’s that time of year where we need two points,” said Faber. “I think everyone’s kind of on the same page. We’re pretty frustrated.”
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