"You get the pom poms out": HC Jared Bednar on what he could have done to energize Colorado Avalanche players during game vs Wild

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was visibly frustrated with his team's performance after their 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

A win for the Avalanche in regulation would have allowed them to move ahead of the Wild in the Central Division. Instead, the Avs now find themselves three points behind, with Minnesota also having a game in hand.

In the post-game interview, Bednar pointed out that his players seemed to lack the necessary energy during the game, indicating that they need to find a way to improve (from 2:00 onwards)

"You get the pom poms out. That's would you do. You're a cheerleader. What are you going to do? I think it's not lack of try, you don't have the legs whatever the reason is, I don't know you ask them. But we got to find a way. That game reminded me of the Chicago game."

Bednar's comments highlighted the urgency for the Colorado Avalanche to regain their form as they continue to battle for a better position in the Central Division. The Avalanche are atop the West's wild card standings with a 28-19-1 record and 57 points.

They host the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena next on Wednesday. The puck drops at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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How the Minnesota Wild downed the Colorado Avalanche

On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena. The visitors edged past the Wild with a commanding 3-1 win.

Jake Middleton opened the scoring for the Minnesota Wild at 12:18 of the first period. Coming into the second period, Nathan MacKinnon tied the game 1-1 for the Avalanche. However, that was the only goal scored by the Avalanche throughout the game.

Yakov Tranin put the Wild ahead 2-1 just 2:08 into the third period, while Brock Faber scored the winning goal to make it 3-1 at 3:43 in the final period. Samuel Girard and MacKinnon picked up a point apiece, while goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves.

For the Wild, Middleton and Liam Ohgren accumulated two points apiece, while Marc-Andre Fleury was stellar between the pipes, making 26 saves and a .963 SV%.

The win helped the Minnesota Wild snap their three-game losing streak and move to second place in the Central Division with 60 points. They host the Utah Hockey Club at Xcel Energy Center next on Thursday, with the puck dropping at 8 p.m. ET.