The long, extended break in this second round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild has concluded. On Saturday night, they will play in Game Three in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota will be back on home ice, well rested and roaring to go and get back in this series. Meanwhile, Colorado will look to get one step closer to the Western Conference Final and make some history.
Colorado Avalanche (6-0-0)
The Avalanche took Game Two in a calmer 5-2 final, in comparison to the calamity of Game One. Avs fans will be pleased with the results so far, with only higher expectations to come.
With a win in Game Three, they would make some NHL history. Along with the Carolina Hurricanes, they’d be the first two teams to have a perfect 7-0 record to start the postseason. Before this game gets underway, the Canes could wrap up their series against the Philadelphia Flyers in another four-game sweep.
Of course, Colorado will be looking for a repeat effort and perhaps follow suit. They might get some help, as Josh Manson is joining the team on the trip and could be an option after the long break.
Jared Bednar said they feel good about Josh Manson being an option on the trip.
— Meghan Angley (@megangley) May 8, 2026
Projected Lines
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Nazem Kadri – Nicolas Roy
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Brent Burns – Nick Blankenburg
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Minnesota Wild (4-3-1)
This extended break in the middle of the series couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wild. They finally had a chance to get some rest and catch their breath after a hard two games and a brutal six-game series against the Dallas Stars beforehand.
Furthermore, they might also have their own reinforcements coming in after the long break. Joel Eriksson Ek might try to go in Game Three. This is despite not taking line rushes in practice.
This depth for the Wild could help them crawl back into the series. Will an injection of new players, rest, and being back on home ice in front of their fans help them cut the Avs’ series lead in half?
Hynes says Zuccarello is sick and he expects him to play. Eriksson Ek has a chance to play tomorrow. Plan was for him to skate for first time before practice and be limited in practice. They’ll trust Eriksson Ek and if he thinks he can get through the game
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 8, 2026
Projected Lines
Kirill Kaprizov – Ryan Hartman – Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Yakov Trenin – Michael McCarron – Vladimir Tarasenko
Nick Foligno – Nico Sturm – Marcus Foligno
Quinn Hughes – Brock Faber
Jacob Middleton – Jared Spurgeon
Daemon Hunt – Zach Bogosian
Filip Gustavsson
Jesper Wallstedt
Game Details
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT
Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO Max
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM/AM 950
