Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon battles for the puck in Game 2 against the Minnesota Wild during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs second round at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, May 5, 2026.
Following a frantic start to the postseason, the Minnesota Wild finally got a moment to regroup. Now, they’ll see if refreshed legs and a renewed mindset can spark a turnaround.
Minnesota aims to fight back in its Western Conference semifinal series against the Colorado Avalanche when the teams meet Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn. Colorado commands a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.
The Wild dropped both opening games in Denver after rallying past the Dallas Stars in the conference quarterfinals. With three days off before the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3, the Wild hope the break proves beneficial.
“The rest is massive,” said Wild forward Matthew Boldy. “It’s tough sometimes when you have to jump straight back into it after winning a series. These days have been great for us to recenter, figure out what we need to do, and hit reset.”
Meanwhile, Colorado aims to maintain its momentum. The Avalanche are undefeated in the playoffs at 6-0, having swept the Los Angeles Kings in Round 1 and outscored the Wild 14-8 in the first two games of the semifinals.
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar sees parallels between Game 3 of this series and Game 3 against the Kings, where Colorado fought to a 4-2 victory to take a 3-0 lead and set up the sweep. He expects the Wild to play with urgency.
“It doesn’t matter where you are or which building you’re in—if you have a 2-0 series lead, Game
