The Minnesota Wild have enjoyed a successful season to this point as they once again qualified for the postseason with a strong regular season run. They finished with a 46-24-12 record, which gave them 104 points in the standings.

The celebration Thursday was a decade in the making for the Minnesota Wild, but now the road gets tougher. Minnesota eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games to advance for the first time since 2015,

The wait is over and the Colorado Avalanche now know who they will face in the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs and when the series will begin. With a 5-2 victory in Game 6, the Minnesota Wild bested the Dallas Stars and will be coming to Ball Arena to take on the Avalanche on Sunday.

Minnesota Wild center Nico Sturm was recently given a brutal review as the 2026 regular season comes to an end.

The Minnesota Wild’s Game 6 win over the Dallas Stars was bigger than just another playoff victory. It was a statement win for a franchise that had spent more than a decade looking for a breakthrough.

Minnesota Wild (46-24-12, in the Central Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, in the Central Division) Denver; Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT LINE: Avalanche -187, Wild +154; over/under is 5.5 NHL PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND: Avalanche host series opener BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild to open the Western Conference second round.

It’s Christmas morning today. It is. I’m telling you right now, we’d be planning a team year-end party right now. I’m getting sick of those,” said Marcus Foligno.

With their first playoff series triumph in 11 years now secured, the Wild will try to match something they haven’t done in 23 years: reach the Western Conference final by winning a second-round playoff series.