Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche
NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche on Mar 08, 2026. Final score: Minnesota Wild 2, Colorado Avalanche 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Mar 08, 2026 |
| Venue | Ball Arena |
| Minnesota Wild score | 2 |
| Colorado Avalanche score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nico Sturm | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7:47 | 0.17 | 0.95 |
| 2nd | Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 1 | 5 | 21:47 | 0.71 | 0.89 |
| 3rd | Joel Eriksson Ek | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21:34 | 0.08 | 0.84 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Minnesota Wild–Colorado Avalanche) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd 12:19 | COL | Nathan MacKinnon | Nazem Kadri | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 3rd 04:17 | MIN | Kirill Kaprizov | Quinn Hughes, Joel Eriksson Ek | 4v5 | 1–1 |
| 3rd 07:01 | MIN | Nico Sturm | Brock Faber | 5v4 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 12:39 | COL | Nicolas Roy | Brett Kulak, Joel Kiviranta | 5v5 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | COL | Valeri Nichushkin | — | 1v0 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | MIN | Matt Boldy | — | 0v1 | 2–2 |
| P5 00:00 | COL | Nathan MacKinnon | — | 1v0 | 2–2 |
Team Comparison
| Minnesota Wild | Colorado Avalanche | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 34 | 36 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.53 | 6.31 |
| High-danger shots | 16 | 23 |
| Corsi % | 45.1% | 54.9% |
| Power play | 1/4 | 0/5 |
| Faceoff % | 56.0% | 44.0% |
| Hits | 25 | 20 |
| Blocks | 21 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 8 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 5 |
Minnesota Wild Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Sturm | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7:47 | 0.17 | 0.95 |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:34 | 0.08 | 0.84 |
| Brock Faber | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 28:14 | 0.01 | 0.59 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 22:41 | 1.08 | 0.55 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26:48 | 0.06 | 0.44 |
| Michael McCarron | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10:44 | 0.31 | 0.25 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12:39 | 0.52 | 0.15 |
| Matt Boldy | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22:26 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:53 | 0.03 | 0.15 |
| Bobby Brink | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:52 | 0.29 | 0.10 |
| Jake Middleton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:48 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| Ryan Hartman | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:30 | 0.09 | 0.05 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17:48 | 0.18 | 0.05 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:36 | 0.06 | 0.00 |
| Nick Foligno | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:00 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:03 | 0.20 | 0.00 |
| Mats Zuccarello | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:48 | 0.34 | -0.05 |
| Zach Bogosian | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:23 | 0.03 | -0.10 |
Colorado Avalanche Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nazem Kadri | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 21:47 | 0.71 | 0.89 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18:04 | 0.00 | 0.69 |
| Joel Kiviranta | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:11 | 0.42 | 0.69 |
| Nicolas Roy | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 12:16 | 0.44 | 0.60 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 22:29 | 0.76 | 0.55 |
| Parker Kelly | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:06 | 0.16 | 0.25 |
| Brent Burns | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:41 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Josh Manson | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:14 | 0.06 | 0.15 |
| Jack Drury | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:58 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Ross Colton | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:41 | 0.37 | 0.05 |
| Zakhar Bardakov | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6:12 | 0.04 | 0.05 |
| Brock Nelson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24:06 | 0.20 | 0.05 |
| Cale Makar | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25:00 | 0.12 | 0.05 |
| Devon Toews | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25:43 | 0.21 | 0.05 |
| Gavin Brindley | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:05 | 0.18 | 0.05 |
| Martin Necas | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25:01 | 0.66 | 0.05 |
| Sam Malinski | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:44 | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Valeri Nichushkin | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:42 | 0.01 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 34 | 36 | 94.4% | 4.42 | O |
| Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | 32 | 34 | 94.1% | 1.73 | W |
Analysis
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 3–2 on Mar 08, 2026, a one-goal game.
Colorado Avalanche generated 6.31 expected goals to Minnesota Wild's 4.53 — Colorado Avalanche edged the chance share as well as the scoreline.
Nico Sturm led all skaters with a Game Score of 0.95 on 1 goal, 1 shots on goal.
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 of 36, worth 4.42 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche game?
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 3–2 on Mar 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Colorado Avalanche 3, Minnesota Wild 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Nico Sturm led all skaters at 0.95, on 1G, 0A and 1 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Colorado Avalanche generated 6.31 expected goals and Minnesota Wild generated 4.53, so Colorado Avalanche created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Minnesota Wild put 34 shots on goal and Colorado Avalanche put 36. High-danger chances went 16 to 23.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 34 of 36 (4.42 goals saved above expected); Scott Wedgewood stopped 32 of 34 (1.73 goals saved above expected).