Makar Returns From Injury, Sparks Avalanche in Wild 9-6 Game 1 Shootout Thriller.

DENVER — Chaos wasn’t on the scouting report, but it defined Game 1. In a matchup expected to showcase tight defense and elite goaltending, the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild combined for a stunning 15 goals Sunday night, with Colorado emerging 9-6 in a game that defied its billing from start to finish. At the center of it all was Cale Makar, who left early after a frightening first-period collision, only to return and score twice in the third period. His go-ahead goal with under three minutes remaining gave Colorado an 8-6 edge, and Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-netter shortly after to close it out. “If you tried to script that,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said, “I don’t know how you would.” The numbers alone tell the story: 15 total goals, five in each period, and 14 different players finding the net. It marked just the 10th playoff game in NHL history to reach that scoring level—and only the second in more than three decades. Colorado looked in control early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead late in the first period. But the Wild clawed back, eventually taking a 5-4 lead in the second on a short-handed goal from Marcus Foligno. The Avalanche answered quickly. Devon Toews evened the score at 5-5 before the second intermission, setting up a frantic final period. “Just a weird game,” Makar said. “Probably a one-off.” For a team known for structure, Colorado’s win came with mixed feelings. “It’s not how we want to play,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “But finding a way to win games like this still matters.” Despite surrendering six goals, the Avalanche continued a long-standing trend: they are now 72-1 in playoff games since relocating to Colorado when leading by three or more goals.

Both goaltenders had uneven nights. Scott Wedgewood, who entered the playoffs with the league’s top goals-against average, allowed more goals than he did in Colorado’s entire first-round sweep. Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt faced a barrage as well, stopping 34 shots but unable to contain the late surge.

“It wasn’t on him,” Foligno said of his goalie. “We’ve got to be better in front.” The Wild were already shorthanded, missing key players Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin, and they’ll remain out for Game 2. As for Makar, his night nearly ended before it began. A hard hit along the boards in the first period sent him awkwardly to the ice, but after testing his leg, he returned and made a decisive impact—including an assist before his two third-period goals.

“You tweak something, it happens,” Makar said. “Just had to make sure I was good to go.”

Game 2 is set for Tuesday in Denver. If it’s anything like Game 1, expectations may not matter much.