Protection » in converting their turnovers but could only take a 17-1

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Nathan MacKinnon had been waiting for the puck to go in for him. The Colorado Avalanche center entered his fourth NHL season with plenty of promise, only to score just twice in the seasons first 15 games.The top overall draft pick in 2013 was feeling a bit better Saturday night after scoring the game-winning goal.MacKinnon brought the puck up the center of the ice and used a Wild defenseman to screen his shot, scoring with 10 minutes left to finish off Colorados third-period comeback. He added an assist in the Avalanches 3-2 win at Minnesota.MacKinnon has scored in back-to-back games to rekindle hopes of a big season after he signed a seven-year, $44.1 million contract extension in the offseason.I feel like Ive had a lot of good chances the first 17 games, MacKinnon said. When I went 10 straight without a goal, I felt like, you dont deserve goals, but you feel like youre around the net and it should start going in. It was tough there for a while and its nice to finally see a couple go in, for sure.Calvin Pickard stopped 41 shots in beating the Wild for the second time this season. Hes allowed two goals on 73 shots.If youre sharp, they throw a lot of pucks to the net and both games weve played weve been good at boxing out rebounds and letting me see the puck, Pickard said. We did that again tonight, with big efforts from our D and our forwards helping out down low as well.The Avalanche trailed 2-0 heading into the final period, but goals by Mikko Rantanen and Carl Soderberg just 3 minutes apart tied the game.Devan Dubnyk made 31 saves for Minnesota, but his shutout streak was snapped at 156 minutes, 6 seconds. Charlie Coyle and Tyler Graovac scored for the Wild, who had been 6-0-1 when leading after two periods.We stopped playing, Dubnyk said. I dont know what happened. Thats not like us. Things are going to happen, and they might get one or two, but we just stopped playing in our end. I dont know if we thought it was going to be an easy third with the way the game was going, but we had a pretty good game going and thats a waste of a game.Colorado earned its first victory of the season when trailing after two. The Avalanche were 0-9-0 when entering the second intermission with a deficit.Third periods havent been our friend this season, MacKinnon said. Weve been struggling late in games. For whatever reason, we cant seem to tie it up and get the win. Were going to feed off this. Scoring three goals in the third period is big, after being shut out after two. Beating a goalie like Dubnyk is no easy task.Dubnyk had allowed just nine goals in his previous nine starts.The flurry of goals came in the third, but the teams traded shots in the first. They combined for 41 shots in the period, setting a Minnesota record for one period. The Wild had 21 shots, a franchise mark for the first period.Game notes Minnesota forward Zach Parise was scratched prior to the game with an illness. He had returned to play two games after missing six because of a lower-body injury. ... Colorado C Matt Duchene (concussion) missed his fourth straight game, while F Gabriel Landeskog (lower-body injury) missed his second game in a row. ... The Avalanche were fifth in the NHL in most penalty minutes per game coming in and proceeded to take five minor penalties. The Wild went 1 of 4 on the power play. ... Minnesota started a stretch of three straight games and four of five against Central Division opponents. ... Wild D Marco Scandella (high ankle sprain) returned to practice Friday. Scandella has missed eight games and is eligible to return from long-term injured reserve next week.UP NEXTAvalanche: Colorados three-game road trip ends Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.Wild: Minnesota has a one-game trip to Dallas on Monday. 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Melbourne Vixens are through to the trans-Tasman netball league play-offs after downing Central Pulse 66-53 in Wellington on Monday.Going into the final match of the regular season, the equation was simple for the Vixens: a win would secure third place and an elimination final against the NSW Swifts on Sunday, while a loss would allow West Coast Fever to sneak through on a fractionally superior goal difference.Despite missing shooter Karyn Bailey, ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, the Vixens never missed a beat as 19-year-old rookie Emma Ryde slotted in smoothly at the back.The 1.97m shooter shot 52 from 56, providing an outstanding target for her midcourters and combining well with hard-working goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld (13 from 14).The Vixens, who had pounded the Pulse 64-40 in their opening match of the season, were ruthless from the outset in converting their turnovers but could only take a 17-14 lead into the first break.They extended that margin in the second spell to lead 33-26 at halftime, centre Liz Watson and wing attack Madi Robinson inffluential in setting up their shooters with quality, well-timed ball.dddddddddddd.Pulse circle defenders Katrina Grant and Phoenix Karaka worked their way into the game, and the home teams scrappy through-court defence began to generate turnover ball.But a lack of accuracy in the attacking third, where the Pulse sorely missed the calmness of injured centre Elias Scheres, too often allowed the Vixens to grab possession back.They won the third quarter 14-10 to lead 47-36 going into the final stanza, and looked comfortable in controlling the last quarter 19-17 to wrap up the win.On the plus side for the Pulse, 18-year-old shooter Maia Wilson wound up an outstanding breakthrough season in style, holding her own against English international Geva Mentor to sink 36 from 40 at 90 per cent accuracy.Former Silver Ferns goal attack Ameliaranne Wells also impressed in her second-half appearance with 11 from 13, and was particularly effective from long range. 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