Game Four Preview: Wild at Avalanche

DENVER, Colo. -- The Minnesota Wild has returned to the Mile High City, ready to face off against the Avalanche in Game 5. The Wild looms on the precipice of elimination tonight, as the Avalanche leads the series 3-1. The Wild had hoped to even the series at home on Monday night, but two empty-net goals turned a close 3-2 game into a decisive 5-2 loss for the Wild. Tonight, the Wild suits up for Game 5 still missing two key players in forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin, who did not travel with the team to Denver yesterday.

Info for Tonight's Game:

• When: Wednesday, May 13th at 7:00 p.m. CT
• Where: Ball Arena (Denver, Colorado)
• Stream: TNT/truTV/MAX
• Listen: KFAN
• Gamecenter: R2G5: Wild vs. Avs

Series Record: 1-3

Wild Round 1 Record: 4-2

Avalanche Round 1 Record: 4-0

2025-26 Series Record: 2-1-1

All-Time Wild vs. Avs Regular Season Record: 63-56-14 (28-29-9 at Colorado)

All-Time Wild vs. Avs Playoff Record: 11-13 (5-8 at Colorado)

The Series So Far

The Avalanche won Game 1, 9-6, in Denver (5/3); Game 2, 5-2, at Ball Arena (5/5), and Game 4, 5-2, at Grand Casino Arena (5/11). Minnesota earned a 5-1 win in Game 3 in St. Paul (5/9).

D Quinn Hughes leads the Wild with six points (2- 4=6). LW Kirill Kaprizov has five points (2-3=5). RW Mats Zuccarello (1-3=4) and D Brock Faber (1-3=4) each own four points. G Jesper Wallstedt is 1-2 with a 4.05 GAA and a .891 SV% in starting Games 1, 3, and 4. G Filip Gustavsson stopped 18-of-22 shots faced in Game 2.

C Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado with eight points (4-4=8) in the series. C Martin Necas has seven points (1-6=7). C Nazem Kadri (2-2=4), D Devon Toews (1-3=4) and LW Gabriel Landeskog (1-3=4) have four points each. G Scott Wedgewood is 2-1 with a 4.57 GAA and a .861 SV% in starting Games 1-3 for the Avalanche. G MacKenzie Blackwood is 1-0 with a 1.95 GAA and a .912 SV% after appearing in relief in Game 3 and starting Game 4.

Wild Regular Season Leaders

• RW Vladimir Tarasenko leads Minnesota with 35 points (15-20=35) in 50 career games against Colorado
• RW Mats Zuccarello owns 34 points (7-27=34) in 38 matches
• Kaprizov has 26 points (15-11=25) in 22 games
• Hartman has 21 points (10-11=21) in 42 games

Avalanche Regular Season Leaders

• MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 70 points (27-43=70) in 55 career games against Minnesota
• Landeskog owns 46 points (21-25=46) in 52 games
• D Brent Burns has 29 points (5-17=29) in 49 games
• Makar has 26 points (6-20=26) in 29 games

Around the League

Round 2

Buffalo (D1) vs. Montreal (D3): series tied 2-2

Vegas (D1) vs. Anaheim (D3): series tied 2-2

Carolina (D1) vs. Philadelphia (D3): CAR wins 4-0, PHI eliminated

On the Mend

Jonas Brodin: lower-body (five games missed)

Joel Eriksson Ek: lower-body (four games missed)

Full Injury Report

View all transactions

Connections

• LW Yakov Trenin recorded three points (2-1=3) in 16 games with the Avalanche in 2023-24
• C Nico Sturm collected three assists in 21 games with Colorado during the 2021-22 season and helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup with two assists in 13 games during the team’s 2022 postseason run
• Burns was selected by Minnesota in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft and collected 183 points (55-128=183) and 325 PIM in 453 games with the Wild across seven seasons (2003-11)
• C Brock Nelson is from Warroad
• D Sam Malinski is from Lakeville

Fast Facts

• Minnesota has won four of its last seven meetings with Colorado, including two shootout victories
• The Wild’s 35 all-time home wins over Colorado is its most against any single opponent, while its 140 overall points and 63 overall wins ranks second
• Minnesota’s 28 all-time wins in Denver is the team’s second-highest road mark against a single opponent
• Minnesota defeated Colorado in the First Round of the 2003 and 2014 playoffs, both 4-3
• Colorado defeated Minnesota 4-2 in 2008 First Round

For more information on tonight's matchup, check out the game notes below.