The Western Conference Second Round opened with a game that looked more like an All-Star showcase than a playoff chess match. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 9–6 on Sunday night in Denver, taking a 1–0 series lead in one of the strangest postseason games in recent memory.
A tight, defensive battle was expected between two of the NHL’s stingiest teams, but instead fans were treated to a chaotic 15-goal explosion featuring five goals in each period, defensive breakdowns on both sides, and 14 different goal scorers.
It also became just the 10th playoff game in league history with at least 15 combined goals—and only the second since 1994.
Colorado came out of the gate sharp and efficient, jumping ahead 3–0 with 6:47 left in the first period. At that point, it looked like a statement win was brewing for a well-rested Avalanche group.
But Minnesota refused to fold. The Wild slowly clawed back into the game, eventually taking a 5–4 lead late in the second period on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno. Momentum had fully flipped, and the building that was loud early suddenly fell into stunned silence. That lead, however, didn’t last long.
The biggest swing of the night came from an unexpected source: Cale Makar. The Avalanche defenseman left in the first period after a scary collision along the boards with Foligno, where his right leg awkwardly flew upward before he crashed to the ice. For a moment, Colorado looked like it might have lost its most important blueliner.
Instead, Makar returned in the second period and changed the game. He assisted on Nick Blankenburg’s goal, then delivered twice in the third period, including the dagger with 2:54 remaining to put Colorado ahead 8–6. His second goal came after shaking off the earlier injury scare and reasserting control over a chaotic game.
Nathan MacKinnon would later seal it with an empty net goal with 2:08 remaining.
Nathan MacKinnon added the final touch on a night where Colorado’s stars simply outlasted Minnesota’s pushback. The Avalanche also got a key equalizer earlier from Devon Toews, who helped stabilize a defense that was otherwise overwhelmed by the pace of the game.
Despite giving up a three-goal lead and seeing the Wild briefly surge ahead, Colorado maintained composure in the final minutes and leaned on its elite finishers to close the door.
Both goaltenders endured one of the most difficult playoff games of their careers.
Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood who entered the series with the league’s best goals-against average allowed more goals in this single game than he did in the entire first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. Still, he managed 30 saves and made several key stops during Minnesota’s second-period surge.
On the other side, Jesper Wallstedt faced constant pressure and finished with 34 saves, but simply couldn’t stem the tide in a game that became a track meet.
Minnesota was also shorthanded entering the night and may be even more depleted heading into Game 2. Forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin were already ruled out, and both are expected to miss Tuesday’s rematch in Denver as well.
Their absence was felt in a game where structure broke down quickly on both sides. The 9–6 final wasn’t just rare it was historic. It tied for the second-most combined goals in a playoff game ever, and marked only the fourth postseason contest in history in which both teams scored at least five goals through the first two periods.
It also underscored just how quickly momentum can swing in the playoffs when elite talent meets defensive breakdowns.
Despite the chaos, one stat remains familiar for Colorado: the Avalanche are now 72–1 since relocating to Denver in 1995–96 when leading a playoff game by three or more goals. The lone loss came in a past St. Louis comeback during a Cup-winning season.
That history nearly got tested again but Colorado’s stars ensured it didn’t. Game 2 shifts back to Denver on Tuesday night, where the Avalanche will look to extend their lead and impose more structure on what turned into an unpredictable opener. The Wild, meanwhile, will try to regroup without key defensive pieces and slow down a Colorado attack that looked unstoppable when it mattered most.
If Game 1 is any indication, this series may not follow any script at all.
