Columbus Blue Jackets vs Minnesota Wild — Sunday, October 18, 2026 Game Analysis
Columbus Blue Jackets at Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena. Final.
MIN2VS
CBJ1Grand Casino Arena
- USMINNHL, Wild+, CBJNHL, CBJHN
- CanadaSportsnet+, TVA Sports
MIN
- Danila Yurov (4)
- PPKirill Kaprizov (10)
CBJ
- Adam Fantilli (2)
Official game highlights
Game statistics
| Statistic | Columbus Blue Jackets | Minnesota Wild |
|---|---|---|
| Shots on goal | 15 | 35 |
| Power-play goals | 0 | 1 |
| Power-play opportunities | 2 | 4 |
| Power-play conversion (%) | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Faceoffs won (%) | 47.8 | 52.2 |
| Hits | 29 | 16 |
| Blocked shots | 8 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 5 |
| Giveaways | 19 | 20 |
| Penalty minutes | 8 | 4 |
Source: ESPN game statistics.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Minnesota Wild Game Analysis
Minnesota Wild defeated Columbus Blue Jackets, 2–1. Minnesota Wild led shots on goal 35–15. Columbus Blue Jackets went 0-for-2; Minnesota Wild went 1-for-4. Minnesota Wild won 52.2% of the faceoffs.
Based on the recorded result and reported team totals. These comparisons describe this game, not season averages.
Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1 on October 18, 2026
The Minnesota Wild defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on October 18, 2026, led by Kirill Kaprizov’s winning goal. Kaprizov broke a 1-1 tie on the power play at 3:06 of the second period. His shot from the bottom of the left faceoff circle beat Cam Talbot over the shoulder. The goal was Kaprizov’s NHL-leading 10th of the season.
Jesper Wallstedt made 13 saves for Minnesota, which improved to 6-2-1 and led the Central Division. Danila Yurov scored the Wild’s other goal late in the first period. Yakov Trenin created the chance by collecting a turnover at the Columbus blue line. He beat a defender before passing across the slot for Yurov’s finish.
Adam Fantilli scored for Columbus, and Talbot finished with 32 saves. The Blue Jackets kept Minnesota off the scoreboard during an early 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:52. Wallstedt also denied Connor Garland on an early breakaway. Kaprizov supplied the only goal of the final 2 periods, giving Minnesota the narrow home victory.
Scoring and goaltending
Minnesota Wild won 2–1 at Grand Casino Arena.
Who scored
- Danila Yurov Goal (4) Wrist Shot, assists: Yakov Trenin (2)
- Adam Fantilli Goal (2) Wrist Shot, assists: Zach Werenski (6), Sean Monahan (2)
- Kirill Kaprizov Goal (10) Snap Shot, assists: Maxim Shabanov (4), Joel Eriksson Ek (5)
Goalies
- Cam Talbot stopped 33 of 35 for Columbus Blue Jackets.
- Jesper Wallstedt stopped 14 of 15 for Minnesota Wild.
Kirill Kaprizov Goal (10) Snap Shot, assists: Maxim Shabanov (4), Joel Eriksson Ek (5) That made the score 1–2 in the 2nd, and Minnesota Wild stayed ahead.