Are Avalanche, Wild set to deliver more 'helter-skelter' hockey after Game 1 thriller?

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) and center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrate defeating the Minnesota Wild. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Are Avalanche, Wild set to deliver more 'helter-skelter' hockey after Game 1 thriller?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 4, 2026 11:41 AM ET

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Defense disappeared in Game 1 of a second-round contest between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.

The Avalanche beat the Wild 9-6 in a high-scoring matchup at Ball Arena in Denver, the 10th Stanley Cup playoff matchup in which teams combined for 15-plus goals. The squads don't want to match or eclipse that total in Game 2 on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Avalanche, Wild don't want to play more "helter-skelter" hockey in Game 2

Wild head coach John Hynes twice referred to the game as "helter-skelter" during his postgame news conference.

"Yeah, I mean, there's a lot to unpack in this one," the coach said (h/t Tracey Myers of NHL.com). "Was a bit of a helter-skelter game. Obviously, you can tell by the score. We'll take a look at some things and take some lessons out of this one. Be ready for Game 2."

A game we might NEVER forget pic.twitter.com/dvHIlnjtl2
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 4, 2026

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, meanwhile, was at a loss for words.

"I can't explain it," he said when asked to describe the matchup, via The Athletic's Peter Baugh.

Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog offered more thoughts on the performance. The Colorado captain was happy about the win but noted that the team must put up a better defensive effort in Game 2. The Avalanche allowed a postseason-high 36 shots on goal on Sunday night.

"It wasn't necessarily a coach's dream — or a player's dream for that matter," he said, per Baugh. "It's good to win this one, but we've got things to clean up and areas to be better in."

The same can be said for the Wild, who surrendered 43 shots on goal in Game 1.

Neither team wants another barn-burner, but let's see if they can stop each other first. The Avalanche and Wild feature two of the most potent offenses in the NHL. During the regular season, Colorado led the league in goals per game (3.63), while Minnesota tied for 10th (3.27).

There may not be a repeat of Game 1, but fans should buckle up. If Sunday's matchup is a sign of things to come, this series could be one hectic ride.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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