The Avalanche keep chugging even as their veterans keep disappearing.

Jonas Brodin scored 18 seconds into overtime to make it 4-3 Sunday, sending Colorado back to Denver with three standings points out of two games and more injuries.

Just before heading out for the third period, coach Jared Bednar learned star forward Nathan MacKinnon had a lower-body injury and wouldn’t return. He joined a list of concerns growing by the day that includes defensemen Erik Johnson and Devon Toews and forwards Matt Calvert and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, all of whom exited the lineup within the past four games.

“It’s better to go through it now than May and June in the playoffs,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “It is what it is. We’ll figure this out.

“The guys in that room — we have plenty of depth to beat the Minnesota Wild today. We just didn’t play well enough.”

MacKinnon set up the first two Avalanche goals. He hasn’t scored in six games but continues to lead the team with 14 points (12 assists, third in the NHL).

The bench was already short as the Avalanche dressed 17 skaters Sunday. Tyson Jost and Logan O’Connor made up the base of the fourth line.

“We’re trying to use our whole bench. We’re not overtaxing guys when it comes to minutes played,” Bednar said.

“I think we’re playing hard and we’re getting some bad luck.”

Backup goaltender Hunter Miska — himself an injury replacement as Pavel Francouz has yet to play this season — made 29 saves. He had to scramble and fight through it early but stretched out to make a highlight-reel save on Minnesota captain Jared Spurgeon.

Joonas Donskoi took a pass from MacKinnon on the first goal. Cam Talbot (22 saves) went on to steal one right out from under MacKinnon, reaching his glove over to block just enough of a half-empty net. MacKinnon grabbed his helmet in disbelief.

After the Wild took a 2-1 lead, Cale Makar further explored the rules of gravity in fooling Jordan Greenway (one goal, one assist) with a quick change of direction on the edge of his blades. He found a better spot and a screen and beat Talbot.

Brandon Saad scored his fourth in four games but Minnesota’s Victor Rask countered with his second of the contest to send it to overtime.

The Wild and Avalanche will now play twice at Ball Arena. As the taxi squad becomes one with the lineup, Bednar said they’re focused on who’s available to play.

“We’ll have to battle through this here and hopefully get some help coming soon,” he said.

Avalanche take down Wild in first of four-game series; Johnson injured in first period

Air Force hockey returns from COVID-19 shutdown, falls to Bentley on the road