February 26, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (39) makes a save against Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Eck (14) while defenseman Cale Makar (8) defends in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Image Matt Boldy had two empty-net goals and added two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek also had two goals and the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 in Denver on Thursday night.
Filip Gustavsson made 44 saves for Minnesota, which has won six straight and made the Central Division competition more intense. Mats Zuccarello also scored and Kirill Kaprizov had two assists.
Colorado ranked first in the NHL with 85 points, while the Wild were tied for second in the league with 80 points.
Martin Necas scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists and MacKenzie Blackwood gave up 31 shots for the Avalanche, who were playing their second game in a row after a three-week Olympic break.
Eriksson Ek’s first goal of the game at 7:48 of the second period gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead. The Avalanche responded when MacKinnon left a drop pass for Necas as he skated into Wild zone, and Necas beat Gustavsson with a wrister at 13:30.
Colorado received three minor penalties in 53 seconds, and Minnesota extended a 5-on-3 power play late in the second half. The Avalanche saved the first two penalties and took a 2-1 lead at 17:37 before Eriksson Ek’s shot went off the inside of Blackwood’s right skate.
The Avalanche came out strong at the start of the third period, outscoring the Wild 12-5 in the first 10 minutes of the frame, but Gustavsson stopped them all. Necas made it very likely that Gustavsson would get caught in his gloves.
Colorado went on the power play at 12:36 but failed to score, but Zuccarello made it a two-goal game at 15:08 when a crease pass was deflected off the skate by Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinksi and Blackwood.
Colorado got another power play with 3:48 left and Blackwood came out to give the Avalanche a 6-4 lead. Boldy scored a short-handed empty-net goal at 16:38.
Gustafsson left the game with about a minute left after puking at the crease. Necas scored on Jesper Wallstedt’s first shot at 19:03, but Boldy restored the three-goal margin 25 seconds later.
Wallstedt blocked one of two shots he faced.
–Field level media
