The Avalanche suffered their first loss of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild in a Game 3 at Grand Casino Arena. The Wild's strong players, including Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, contributed to the loss. The Avs struggled when there were not 10 skaters on the ice, leading to a 5.1 loss. Despite winning Game 2 due to special teams, Colorado struggled at times in other game states. The game 4 is set to take place on Monday night in St. Louis.