- Matchup: Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche
- Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
- Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- Broadcast: Altitude Sports
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In an exciting matchup, the Colorado Avalanche (37-9-9) are set to host the Minnesota Wild (34-14-10) at Ball Arena this Thursday.
The Minnesota Wild enter this game on a high note after achieving a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Predators in their last outing. The Wild displayed impressive offensive skills, converting 6 out of 44 attempted shots. They also capitalized on one out of two power play opportunities and accumulated a total of 11 penalty minutes.
Analyzing their scoring metrics, the Minnesota Wild have scored a remarkable 192 goals this season—ranking 7th in professional hockey—while allowing 166 goals against. Currently, they sit at 78 total points with a points percentage of .672. With 189 power play opportunities, they have scored 48 goals, achieving a power play success rate of 25.40%. At even strength, the Wild have allowed 132 goals while netting 144. Their shooting percentage stands at 11.5%, with 1,675 shots taken and 1,737 shots faced, leading to a .904 save percentage. Opponents have attempted 149 power play chances against them (29th in the league), scoring 34 goals in those scenarios.
For this matchup, Filip Gustavsson is expected to guard the net. Throughout his career, Gustavsson has faced 529 goals against him, maintaining a goals against average of 2.70. He has appeared in 205 professional games, with a save percentage of .912 over 9,046 minutes of play. His record includes 103 wins, 68 losses, and 26 overtime losses, featuring 120 quality starts and a quality start rate of .612. Gustavsson has faced 5,979 shots and made 5,450 saves throughout his career.
In their previous game, the Colorado Avalanche faced off against the Sharks, securing a 4-2 victory. Despite having 3 power play opportunities, they were unable to convert any into goals, finishing with 4 goals from 42 shots on net.
This season, Colorado has scored a total of 211 goals, with 184 at even strength and 27 during power plays (26th in the league), earning 83 points and a points percentage of .755. They have allowed 133 goals against, including 110 at even strength and 23 while short-handed. With 1,877 shots taken (1st in hockey), the Avalanche have an 11.24% shooting percentage and have allowed 1,468 shots. Their power play efficiency stands at 15.08%, and they boast an impressive penalty kill rate of 84.67% against 150 power play attempts by opponents, along with a save percentage of 90.9%.
Defending the Avalanche goal will be Mackenzie Blackwood, who has made 7,251 saves out of 8,000 shots faced, resulting in a save percentage of .906. With a career record of 119-108-29, Blackwood has played in 275 games, starting 258 of them and logging 13,409 minutes in total. His quality start rate is 56.6%, having recorded 146 quality starts, while allowing an average of 2.90 goals per game.
Which team will triumph in tonight’s NHL matchup against the spread or moneyline?
Prediction: Choose Colorado
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