DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 03: The Colorado Avalanche stand for the national anthem prior to Game One of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena on May 03, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. ((Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images))
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild is at the Colorado Avalanche for Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Sunday night.
Puck drop is set for just after 8 p.m. from Ball Arena. You can get live updates from the game here. The Wild advanced in the playoffs for the first time since 2015 after eliminating the Dallas Stars 4-2.
Third period: Avalanche takes 9-6 lead
A little more than a minute after the Wild got within a goal, the Avalanche got the lead back to two. Cale Makar fired a shot through a screen and scored his second goal of the night at the 17:-6 mark to give Colorado an 8-6 lead.
Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-net goal at the 17:52 mark to seal the game.
Third period: Mats Zuccarello gets Wild within 7-6
The Wild isn't going down in Game 1 without a fight. Mats Zuccarello got the Wild within 7-6 at the 16:01 mark of the third period, scoring off a feed from Matt Boldy. His pass hit Zuccarello's right shin pad and found the net, giving the Wild a chance.
Third period: Avalanche takes 7-5 lead over Wild
Colorado opened the third period with two goals in less than three minutes to grab a 7-5 lead. Cale Makar scored at the 3:21 mark after Gabriel Landeskog won a draw, and Nathan MacKinnon fed Makar, whose wrist shot beat Jesper Wallstedt.
Nazem Kadri scored at the 5:43 mark of the third period to give the Avalanche at 7-5 lead.
Second period – Colorado ties game 5-5 on power-play goal
Exactly 1 minute, 9 seconds after the Wild took its first lead of the night, the Avalanche answered back. Devon Toews scored a power-play goal at the 18:04 mark oft he second period to tie the game 5-5. We're only through 40 minutes of hockey, and Game 1 of this series has a combined 10 goals.
Second period – Wild scores short-handed to grab 5-4 lead
Brock Faber called whistled for hooking Nathan MacKinnon late in the second period, but the Wild turned it into a goal. Marcus Foligno grabbed a loose puck, took it down the ice and beat Scott Wedgewood for a short-handed goal at 16:55 to give the Wild its first lead of the night.
Second period – Wild tie Avalanche 4-4
The Wild were down 3-0 to the Avalanche just more than halfway through the first period Sunday night in Game 1. They battled back to a 4-4 tie at the 12:43 mark of the second period.
Quinn Hughes gathered a puck from Danila Yurov, put a shot towards the net and Nick Foligno provided enough traffic that Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood couldn’t see it. Hughes’ third goal of the postseason got the game tied.
Second period – Wild gets within 4-3
Less than three minutes after the Avalanche took a 4-2 lead, the Wild answered. Minnesota won a puck battle near center ice, and Yakov Tenin found Vladmir Tarasenko for a score at the 6:45 mark.
Second period – Avalanche takes 4-2 lead
The Wild had a scrum at the Colorado net following a power play, but couldn’t cash in. Valeri Nichushkin immediately took the puck the other way for the Avalanche, and fed Nick Blankenburg for the score to give the Colorado a 4-2 lead at the 4:16 mark of the period.
First period – Avalanche 3, Wild 2
A little more than a minute after Johansson scored, Quinn Hughes beat the Avalanche defense and put a puck near the net that Ryan Hartman deflected in. His second goal of the playoffs got the Wild within 3-2 late in the first period after Colorado scored the first three goals of the night.
It was a fast-paced period for both teams, with five combined goals.
First period – Marcus Johansson scores for Wild
Marcus Johansson got the Wild on the board after the Avalanche scored the first three goals of the game. Johansson scored at the 15:02 mark after Matt Boldy won a puck battle behind the net and tipped it to Johansson, who beat Scott Wedgewood. It's Johansson's second goal of the playoffs, and the Wild trail 3-1 in the first period.
First period – Avalanche 3, Wild 0
The Avalanche’s hot start continued with a power-play goal at the 13:13 mark of the first period. Nathan MacKinnon skated through the Wild defense, and his second shot on goal deflected right to Arturi Lehkonen, who found the open net.
First period — Avalanche take early 2-0 lead
Colorado got on the board first with a goal at the 11:12 mark of the first period. Sam Malinski scored off a feed from Martine Necas that beat Jesper Wallstedt top shelf over his glove side.
Less than a minute later, the Avalanche made it 2-0. Jack Drury beat Wallstedt with wrist shot after the Avalanche won a puck battle in the corner. The score came at the 12:04 mark of the first period. Colorado dominated the puck possession and chances the first 10 minutes, and have two goals to show for it.
Minnesota Wild injury updates
What we know:
The Wild will be without Joel Eriksson Ek for Games 1 and 2. Ek suffered a lower body injury during their Game 6 win over the Dallas Stars, crashing into the boards in the third period with his right leg hitting the wall. He was able to finish the game, but isn’t expected to return until Game 3. Ek did not travel with the team to Denver.
What we don't know:
Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin also did not travel with the team due to a lower body injury. He suffered it in Game 5, after blocking a shot. It's not yet clear when he will return to the lineup.
Wild-Colorado series
Why you should care:
The Wild and Avalanche split their regular season series, 2-2. Each team won one game in a shootout on their home ice. The Wild also beat the Avalanche in Denver 5-2 on Feb. 26.
Colorado was the best regular season team in the NHL this year, with 55 wins and 121 total points. The Wild finished third in the West with 104 points.