The Minnesota Wild edged out the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 2-1 victory on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. The game-winning goal came from Kirill Kaprizov, who netted his league-leading 10th goal of the season. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt delivered a standout performance, making 28 saves to secure the win for the Wild.
The scoring opened in the first period when Minnesota's Danila Yurov found the back of the net at 18:12, assisted by Yakov Trenin. Columbus responded swiftly, with Adam Fantilli scoring just a minute later, assisted by Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan, tying the game at 1-1. The decisive moment occurred in the third period when Kaprizov scored at 12:45, sealing the victory for the Wild.
This win improves Minnesota's record to 6-2-1, while Columbus falls to 3-4-0. The Wild's power play continues to be a significant strength, ranking second in the NHL at 33.3%, contrasting with the Blue Jackets' penalty kill, which ranks 30th at 61.1%. The teams are set to meet again on December 10, 2026, in Columbus.