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May 9, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on the Colorado Avalanche in the second period of game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
They say a series hasn’t started until the home team loses. That was one of the things the Minnesota Wild were riding on after losing two games at Ball Arena. And that’s exactly what we have, for at least another game.
The Colorado Avalanche suffered their first loss of the postseason on Saturday night, falling 5-1 to the Wild at Grand Casino Arena in Game 3. Nathan MacKinnon had the Avalanche’s lone tally. It came when they were already down by three goals.
The Wild were the better team in nearly all aspects, and it reflected in the result.
“We’ve got to do more to make that game a lot more even than it was offensively and defensively,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said. “That wasn’t a detail thing for me. That was a determination and competitive loss tonight. They did a lot more than us to win that hockey game.”
Scott Wedgewood started the game for the Avalanche before getting yanked. He let in three goals on 12 shots, while Mackenzie Blackwood came in and stopped 12-of-13. It was Blackwood’s playoff debut, and his first in-game action since April 14.
“I thought Wedgie was playing hard, you know, I think maybe he looked a little too aggressive on a couple of those,” Bednar said. “From what I’ve seen out of Blackwood here recently, and a rested guy and a guy that we trust, I felt like it was a good opportunity for us to get him in and see if it sparked our group, and if he could maybe close the door the rest of the way.”
Suddenly, the two teams are going to play an even more pivotal Game 4, with Minnesota getting a golden opportunity to send the series back to Denver all knotted up.
“They know what they have to do,” Blackwood said. “I’ve got the most confidence that they’re going to come out hard and play the right way.”
It felt like a feel-out early for the Avalanche. They weathered a ton of hits, as the Wild were throwing their bodies around right from the opening puck drop. The best scoring opportunity when the game was still scoreless belonged to Parker Kelly. he was sprung in on a mini breakaway but Jesper Wallstedt made the save.
The Wild turned back to Wallstedt after he sat for Game 2. In the opening game of the series, Wallstedt surrendered eight goals in what was, at the time, his seventh consecutive start. He made 34 saves to earn the win and likely the crease moving forward.
Moments after the Kelly chance, Colorado went on the power play, but it was killed off. And with Wild forward Ryan Hartman and Kelly in the box for matching roughing minors, the goals started to pile on.
First, it was Kirill Karpizov nabbing his fourth of the playoffs while teams played 4-on-4. On the very next shift, Devon Toews took a hooking penalty, giving the Wild an advantageous 4-on-3 power play. Quinn Hughes scored to double the lead.
In the second period, the Wild got another power play and capitalized on that one, too. It was 3-0 before the first T.V. timeout of the middle frame. It was also the end of Wedgewood’s night.
Everything was coming up for the Wild until their physicality got the best of them. Marcus Foligno was called for interference. On the ensuing power play, defenseman Daemon Hunt pushed Gabe Landeskog into Wallstedt. MacKinnon scored on the open net, and the officials still counted it. They were adamant that the goalie interference was self-inflicted — rightfully so.
For a brief moment, it felt like that moment could turn the game. But that wasn’t the case. Bednar sent his fourth line out for the very next shift, and Logan O’Connor was called for a delay penalty on the forecheck. Before the Avs could touch the puck, the Wild added another tally, making it 4-1 just 20 seconds after the Avalanche goal.
They added an empty-netter from Matt Boldy just before the buzzer.
Bad: Special Teams Lost the Battle
There was a lot more to this game than just special teams, but given how the Avalanche had played both the power play and penalty kill at home, Game 3 was a major letdown.
By the time Wedgewood was pulled, Colorado was 0-for-2 on the PP and 0-for-2 on the PK. The Avs had given up goals at 4-on-4, 3-on-4, 4-on-5, and 5-on-6. Their lone tally came on the power play, but it wasn’t enough. They finished 1-for-3 on the man advantage.
It felt like nothing was working in special teams. And coming up empty at 5-on-5 solidified what eventually was the first loss the Avalanche have endured in the playoffs.
Good: The Wild Stopped the Rush
Kudos to the Wild for doing something that hadn’t been done in six previous Avalanche playoff games. They stopped Colorado’s rush, limiting those opportunities as much as possible. And even when the Avs got through, whether it was MacKinnon or Kelly, they got big saves from Wallstedt and a great job applying pressure without taking a penalty from the trailing defender.
The post Postgame: Avalanche Drop Game 3 In Minnesota, Sets Up Pivotal Game 4 appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.
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