Mn Wild Out of Olympic Break: Boldy Scores, Gustavsson’s 44 Saves Propel 5-2 Win Over Avalanche
On 02/26/2026 in Denver the mn wild delivered a statement coming out of the Olympic break, beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 behind Filip Gustavsson’s 44 saves and Matthew Boldy’s goal-scoring impact. The win combined a veteran goaltending performance, a decisive special-teams sequence and a flurry of late goals that extended Minnesota’s momentum.
Mn Wild goaltending and the Gustavsson performance
Filip Gustavsson was the backbone of the victory, making 44 saves in Thursday night’s win. He battled an illness late in the game and ultimately left with about one minute remaining after throwing up in his crease. Team staff described the ailment as occurring mostly in the third period; he had not been sick earlier in the day.
Gustavsson did not get the Olympic experience he had hoped for with Team Sweden: Jacob Markstrom took over the net for the quarterfinal game against the U. S. after Gustavsson had started two games at the tournament. Still, Thursday’s performance looked like the form that established him as Minnesota’s clear-cut No. 1 over the past seasons, and teammates and staff praised the effort.
Scoring sequence: Eriksson Ek, Boldy and Zuccarello swing momentum
Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice, both on the power play, and Mats Zuccarello also added a goal. Matt Boldy accounted for multiple key tallies late in the game: he recorded two empty-netters, one shorthanded, and was credited with goals that helped seal the 5-2 result. One of Eriksson Ek’s power-play finishes came when his centering pass/shot through the crease went in off the pad of Mackenzie Blackwood to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead.
Special teams and the extended 5-on-3 that mattered
The Wild gained an edge on the man advantage: Colorado took six of the first seven penalties, producing extended power-play time for Minnesota. A defining moment arrived with roughly five minutes remaining in the second period when Minnesota had an extended 5-on-3. That sequence was initially set to be 1: 12 of 5-on-3, but a delay of game penalty by Brent Burns four seconds into that stretch extended Minnesota’s two-man advantage to 1: 54. Minnesota generated several high-danger looks in that span, including point-blank shots from Quinn Hughes and Matthew Boldy, and head coach used a timeout during the sequence to rest top players who had been on the ice for 48 seconds and to remind the unit of set plays the team had not practiced since before the Olympic break.
Game flow, pressure and team trajectory
Colorado controlled much of the early shot volume — taking nine of the first 10 shots and 11 of the first 13 in the third period — but Gustavsson kept Minnesota in the game. The Wild have now won six straight and sit in a 9-1-1 stretch that includes pre-Olympic-break results. In the Central Division race Minnesota sits five points back of Colorado for first place; the Avalanche have two games in hand, and the teams are scheduled to meet again in Denver next weekend. Team leaders emphasized growth and staying together as priorities rather than chasing standings alone.
Postgame and practice notes: voices from the locker room and TRIA Rink
Coach comments and player availability were part of the postgame and practice day coverage. The coach spoke with media following the 5-2 win and addressed coming out of the break after the Olympic Gold Medal win. Quinn Hughes spoke with media following the win and praised the goaltending and special-teams execution. Bolds and Ekky both spoke with media after the game and following practice at TRIA Rink. Additional practice-day interactions included the coach chatting with media after practice on Wednesday, Gus Bus chatting with media after practice on Wednesday, and Coach Jack Capuano speaking to media following practice at TRIA Rink.
Players also referenced Olympic success in pregame comments: Quinn spoke about the Olympic Gold Medal win ahead of the match against the Avalanche, Fabes talked about the Olympic Gold Medal win ahead of the match, and Bolds also discussed the Olympic Gold Medal win ahead of the game. Those conversations, combined with the win in Denver, framed the team’s immediate focus on building momentum and finding ways to string wins together.
What’s next for the mn wild
The immediate future features another meeting in Denver next weekend. Minnesota will carry a six-game winning streak and an extended 9-1-1 run into that rematch while managing goaltender health and special-teams consistency. Recent practice sessions and postgame comments suggest the organization is balancing recovery, reinforcement of set pieces and lineup management as it heads back into a crucial stretch of the schedule.
