Denver Under Pressure, Minnesota Unfazed
There are rinks you tiptoe into.
Ball Arena wasn’t one of them for this Wild.
Against a Colorado Avalanche side still aiming for the top, the Minnesota Wild played free, solid and sharp. Result: a 5-2 win and a sixth straight. Better still, Minnesota is 7-0-1 in their last eight.
This isn’t a hot streak. It’s a statement.
Matt Boldy — the game that changes everything
Two goals, two assists. And he looked dangerous every time he touched the puck.
Matt Boldy notched his fifth career four-point game. He joins Mats Zuccarello in second place in franchise history for four-point nights, behind Marian Gaborik’s seven.
More importantly, Boldy became the first Wild player ever to post back-to-back four-point games.
His shorthanded goal, after intercepting a Nathan MacKinnon pass, froze the arena. His empty-netter sealed it. Between those, he was everywhere.
MATT GOALDY
MIN 5 – COL 2 | P3 19:27 pic.twitter.com/OY0V5RygsY
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 27, 2026
It wasn’t just productive. It was dominant.
Eriksson Ek punishes on the power play
If Boldy lit up the night, Joel Eriksson Ek struck at the exact right times.
Two power-play goals. Work in front of the net. Rebounds buried. Minnesota punished Colorado’s indiscipline — six penalties. At that point, it’s an invitation.
With his 14th multi-goal game in a Wild jersey, Eriksson Ek ties Nino Niederreiter for eighth in franchise history.
The power play swung the game. Minnesota knew exactly how to use it.
Gustavsson heroic, even while ill
Everyone talks about the scorers, but the real wall was Filip Gustavsson.
Forty-four saves. Long stretches where the Avalanche were on top. He stood firm. Again. Always. Even while sick in the third before handing over to Jesper Wallstedt in the final seconds.
Nathan MacKinnon had two assists. Martin Necas scored twice. But every Colorado surge met Gustavsson.
In tight games like this, the difference is often in the mask.
Hughes extends streak, Burns joins Iginla
In Boldy’s shadow, Quinn Hughes quietly extended his point-and-assist streak to 11 games. Over the last five seasons, only Mikael Granlund and Pavel Buchnevich pulled off that kind of run in their first year with a new club.
Another milestone for the Avalanche: Brent Burns played his 1,554th career game, tying Jarome Iginla for 15th all-time in NHL history.
The loss stings. Records don’t.
Minnesota doesn’t look back
What’s striking about this win isn’t the score. It’s the maturity.
The Wild didn’t chase flash. They played structured. Disciplined. Opportunistic. When Colorado pushed, Minnesota held. When space opened, they struck.
Boldy summed it up after: it’s not about chasing anyone. It’s about building your own game.
Six straight. An offense buzzing. A goalie in a groove.
Minnesota is moving forward. And now, nobody can pretend not to see it.
See the rest of the sports news on Mathodds!
Leave a Reply