Wild topple Avalanche in season opener

Zach Parise opened the 2015-16 season in a way he’ll never forget. They added to that lead a few minutes later when Minnesota native Erik Johnson scored a goal after a delay of game penalty was assessed to Mikko Koivu of Minnesota.

The first period saw the Colorado Avalanche being the aggressors by scoring 3 goals to take a 3-0 lead and stayed that way heading into the end of the first period. The final goal of the first period came from Captain and left wing Gabriel Landeskog at 18:55 and assisted by Francois Beauchemin and Nathan MacKinnon.

Colorado did everything they could to tie the game, even pulling their goalie with three minutes left to play, but it was not enough as the Wild held on to win their season opener.

Trailing 4-1 in the final period, the Wild had four goals in a 5:07 span to stun the Avalanche.

Parise truly put the Wild on his back, collecting his third career hat trick to fuel Minnesota’s come-from-behind win on the road. John Mitchell added another in the second as the Avalanche built what appeared to be a comfortable lead before the Wild stormed back. Parise, Nino Niederreiter and Thomas Vanek all scored goals in a four-goal third period, turning a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 victory. The 28-year-old, who was drafted seventh overall by Chicago in 2005, has collected 30 goals and 31 assists in 239 National Hockey League games with three different teams. The Wild have a very deep roster at both ends of the ice and are hoping Devan Dubnyk’s midseason resurgence wasn’t a flash in the pan last year as he will be their go to guy for the entire season this year. He lifted Minnesota into the postseason last season with his splendid play down the stretch after he was acquired from Arizona.

Dubnyk, who assertively took control of the goaltending job in the second half of previous year, went 6-3-0 with a 2.42 goals-against average and.

Parise almost had a goal in the first period, when he outraced everyone to a loose puck at center ice and skated in alone on Varlamov.

Zach Parise hit the post with his first shot of the game but he was on target when it counted most.

After that, it was all Avs in the opening period as Iginla beat Dubnyk with a wrist shot, Johnson knocked in a shot off a slap shot and Landeskog added a third by tipping in the puck following a carom off the boards. The players had pretty good game as they strolled the red carpet for the introduction to the team’s 20th anniversary season. They certainly deserve credit for what they did in the last 15 minutes, but I thought we played well until then. Parise’s response encapsulated the beat-you-with-goals-not-fists mentality Yeo wants for his team.