Mackenzie Blackwood only let in one goal on the one-month anniversary of the day he was traded to the Avalanche. And the team playing in front of him — the one that feels confident with the new goalie manning the crease — scored six times against a divisional rival sitting ahead of them in the Central.

Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin will both be unavailable when the Minnesota Wild take on the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

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.

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.

The Wild were without Kirill Kaprizov, Jakub Lauko, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Brock Faber, all sidelined due to injuries. As a result, the Avalanche (26-16-1) jumped out to a two-goal advantage in the first period, getting goals from Logan O'Connor 3 minutes, 46 seconds into the period and from Ross Colton 16:52 into the frame.

Expected starter for Thursday

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.

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Minnesota was without its top three defensemen against high-flying Colorado, and Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin were sorely missed.

Mackenzie Blackwood stoned Joel Eriksson Ek on a ... Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, center, skates with the puck as Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello, right, defends during ...