I have other commitments tomorrow, so I'll jot down some quick thoughts before heading to bed...
This was over before it started. Minnesota had scored the game winning goal before the Avs even mustered a shot.
However, after Darcy scored (on a nice assist by TJ Hensick) the Avs played good hockey. There was no way they'd put up 4 against Nick Backstrom, so it was all just for shits and grins, but it was good to see the Avs hitting and hustling for a change, even if it was just for the final 30 minutes.
I thought all four lines played pretty well. It was Tucker's best game in an Avalanche uniform. Hensick appears to be ready to stick around (I especially loved the work on the draws). The Avs also did something new on the PK - they went with wicked short shifts (like 20 seconds) for the forwards and were extremely aggressive. When it worked, the Wild were stuck in their zone and the Avs even got a few terrific SH chances. Unfortunately, when the Wild did get into the zone, it was back to the same old same old.
Not a great game, to be sure, but I do think the last period and a half at least gives the team something to build from.