Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild 2026 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview

For months, we’ve known that the Central Division’s second-round matchup would be a treat. We just needed the specifics to sort themselves out.One half of the equation went exactly as expected. Good night and good luck, Los Angeles Kings. The Colorado Avalanche can take it from here.The Presidents’ Trophy winners spent a few days waiting to see how things would shake out between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars — but not many. After three consecutive wins of increasing quality over the Dallas Stars, the Wild are finally out of the first round, and their next test is even tougher.Advertisement