Colorado Avalanche host Minnesota Wild in second round of 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Western Conference matchup begins Sunday at Ball Arena with Colorado priced as significant favourites against a Wild side missing key defenceman Jonas Brodin.
The Colorado Avalanche have advanced to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs following a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. The series commenced at Ball Arena and will continue there as the Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild in a best-of-seven contest beginning on Sunday. According to current futures odds, the Avalanche are priced as considerable favourites, ranging from -205 to -250, while the Wild are valued between +170 and +200.
The Wild entered the matchup having ended a series win drought dating back to 2015 by defeating the Dallas Stars in six games. Their offensive output was consistent throughout the round, netting at least three goals in four of their six first-round contests. They will now face a Colorado squad that led the league in scoring during the 2025-26 regular season with 298 goals, though they were limited to just two goals in each of their first two games against the Kings before finding their rhythm.
Key performances from the first round will define the early momentum of this series. Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon finished the regular season with a career-high 53 goals to win the Maurice Richard Trophy and scored twice in Game 4 to clinch the series. For Minnesota, Matt Boldy tied for the postseason lead with six goals, having scored a pair in the decisive Game 6 victory over Dallas.
Significant injury concerns loom over the Wild's opener. Defenceman Jonas Brodin will not be available for Game 1 due to a lower-body injury. Additionally, defenceman Joel Eriksson Ek is listed as questionable for the series opener with an apparent leg ailment. The Avalanche, by contrast, have enjoyed a week of rest and are expected to deploy Scott Wedgewood in net, who posted a 1.21 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage during the first round.
The two franchises split their four regular-season meetings, with each team securing one road victory and one home win, including a shootout victory for Colorado. This marks the fourth postseason meeting between the clubs, with the Wild holding the advantage of having defeated the Avalanche in previous playoff series in 2003 and 2014. The Avalanche last overcame Minnesota in the 2008 conference quarterfinals.
The Wild will deploy rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the series opener. Wallstedt yielded seven goals in his first two postseason outings before stabilising to limit the Stars to two tallies in each of the last three games of their first-round series. The Avalanche will need to replicate their defensive effort from the first round, where they held the Kings' top three regular-season goal scorers to a single combined goal.
