Wild have big concerns after high-scoring Game 1 loss to Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild played one of the craziest games so far of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday, with the Avalanche taking a 1-0 series lead thanks to a back-and-forth 9-6 win.

Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 lead, let it slip away and turn into a 5-4 deficit, tied the game going into the second intermission, and then erupted for four more goals in the third period to put the game away. 

The Avalanche had eight different players score goals, demonstrating their depth and offensive firepower. 

It should also serve as a big wake-up call to the Wild for how tough this series is going to be, while also giving the team a lot of questions to answer before Game 2 on Tuesday night. 

Minnesota Wild have big concerns after Game 1 loss to Avalanche

The biggest concern for the Wild in the short-term is what they are going to do about their obvious talent disadvantage at center for Game 2.

Even when fully healthy, the Wild do not have the center depth to match up with what Colorado is using down the middle, but it is even worse for the time being, with Joel Eriksson Ek being sidelined for at least the first two games.

This was always going to be a potential Achilles heel for the Wild because, as good as Eriksson Ek is as a two-way player, he is not a traditional No. 1 center on a typical Stanley Cup contender. When you take him out of the lineup, that depth gets even more concerning. Especially against a team like Colorado that is rolling out Nathan MacKinnon, Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri on its top three lines. 

They not only have to find a way to get through at least one more game with Eriksson Ek, but they probably have to find a way to win it.

That is going to be a problem. 

The other big concern is going to come in goal, and what they do with Jesper Wallstedt going into Game 2.

After earning the starting spot going into the playoffs, Wallstedt was sensational in Minnesota's opening round win against the Dallas Stars. But he came out on Sunday and allowed eight goals (Colorado's ninth goal was an empty-net goal) and looked nothing like the player he was for most of the season. It was not all his fault by any means, but eight goals are still eight goals, and that is too many for a playoff game.

The Wild used a goalie rotation for most of the season between Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson, and Gustavsson is a capable NHL starter. It might be worth considering a switch, even if just to send a wake-up call to the rest of the roster.