Avalanche Edge Wild 3-2 in Shootout Thriller

Nathan MacKinnon's shootout winner lifts Colorado over Minnesota in battle of NHL's top teams.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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In a matchup between two of the NHL's top teams, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal in the shootout after netting his league-leading 43rd goal of the season in regulation. The Wild rallied from a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the third period, but the Avalanche forced overtime with a late goal by Nicolas Roy.

Why it matters

This was a crucial game between two of the NHL's top teams as they jockey for playoff positioning. The Avalanche were able to bounce back after losing to the Wild just 10 days prior, showing their resilience against a tough divisional opponent.

The details

MacKinnon opened the scoring for the Avalanche in the first period with his 43rd goal of the season. The Wild then scored two quick goals in the third period to take a 2-1 lead, but Roy's late goal for Colorado sent the game to overtime. After both teams converted one of their first three shootout attempts, MacKinnon scored the winner for the Avalanche. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves for Minnesota in the losing effort.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
  • The Avalanche and Wild had previously met 10 days prior, with Minnesota winning 5-2.

The players

Nathan MacKinnon

The Avalanche star forward scored his NHL-leading 43rd goal of the season and netted the game-winning shootout goal.

Scott Wedgewood

The Wild goaltender made 32 saves and leads the NHL in goals against average and is second in save percentage.

Nazem Kadri

The newly acquired Avalanche forward had an assist in his first game back with the team since being traded from the Calgary Flames.

Kirill Kaprizov

The Wild's leading goal scorer with 36 tallies on the season.

Gabriel Landeskog

The Avalanche captain was out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Avalanche will host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, while the Wild will travel to face the Utah team on the same night.

The takeaway

This hard-fought battle between two of the NHL's top teams showcased the Avalanche's resilience and MacKinnon's clutch performance in the shootout. The win keeps Colorado in the hunt for a top playoff seed in the Western Conference.