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NHL · October 18, 2026

Columbus Blue Jackets vs Minnesota Wild Final — October 18, 2026

Columbus Blue Jackets

3-3-0

Goalie Cam Talbot Confirmed

FINAL

Minnesota Wild

5-2-1

Goalie Jesper Wallstedt Confirmed

Sunday, October 18 · 6:10 PM ET

CBJStarting goaliesMIN

This season

Starts

.822

Sv%

.920

.778

HDSv%

.917

−2.3

GSAx

+6.5

Last season

Starts

.883

Sv%

.916

.731

HDSv%

.824

−10.9

GSAx

+7.9

CBJOffenseFull 2025-26 regular season (last season)MIN

16th3.09

GF/G

3.3211th

22nd6.88

PP GF/60

9.105th

CBJDefenseMIN

16th3.09

GA/G

2.934th

24th8.37

PK GA/60

7.2514th

CBJTeamMIN

15th56.1%

Pts%

63.4%7th

10th51.4%

xGF%

50.9%12th

11th50.8%

CF%

48.2%24th

15th50.3%

HDCF%

53.5%10th

CBJ5-on-5MIN

9th2.66

xGF/60

2.5913th

14th2.51

xGA/60

2.5013th

22nd9.1%

Sh%

9.1%23rd

10th91.1%

Sv%

91.7%4th

4th119.5

CF/60 (both)

119.63rd

22nd−0.11

GAx/G

+0.1011th

10th+0.12

GSAx/G

+0.1111th

27th9.6%

Sh%

10.5%15th

12th89.9%

Sv%

90.8%2nd

6th53.7%

xGF% (L20)

55.0%4th

CBJSpecial teamsMIN

20th7.24

PP xG/60

7.4916th

23rd75.5

PP FF/60

83.66th

32nd4.0

PP min/G

5.16th

30th8.70

PK xGA/60

7.9019th

11th4.5

PK min/G

4.26th

CBJRecent formMIN

Lvs UTA 1-4Wvs PIT 3-2L@ STL 3-5Lvs FLA 3-7Wvs NYR 1-0

Resultsoldest to newest

L@ TBL 2-3W@ FLA 4-1Wvs VGK 4-2L@ WPG 2-5Wvs STL 5-4

Game by game

3-3-0

Record

5-2-1

2-3-0

Last 5

3-2-0

—

Over–under

2-6

CBJHome and roadseason to dateMIN

3-2-0

Home record

3-0-0

0-1-0

Road record

2-2-1

—

Home O/U

1-2

—

Road O/U

1-4

Top third of the leagueMiddle thirdBottom thirdBar = league rank (full = 1st)

Injuries & restkey injuries · rest and travel

CBJRest & travelMIN

1 dayback-to-back

Days of rest

3 days

618 mi995 km

Travel to the game

Home

−1 hclock change vs home

Time-zone change

Home

CBJKey injuriesMIN

None listed

Players out or limited

Filip Gustavsson GIROlli Maatta DOutBrock Faber DIR

About these numbers

Goalie status from the G&W goalie tracker (Confirmed, Expected, Likely or Not confirmed); teams confirm starters close to puck drop. Season lines come from the NHL Lab goalie tables. GSAx = goals saved above expected (Gridiron & Wine expected goals). HD Sv% = save rate on high-danger shots.

Full 2025-26 regular season (last season), captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (32 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.

2025-26 regular season, public NHL Lab tables; ranks out of 32 teams. Expected goals are Gridiron & Wine's own expected-goals numbers.

2025-26 regular season. Rates are per 60 minutes of power-play or penalty-kill time.

Regular-season results this season, oldest to newest (OTL = overtime or shootout loss). Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Over–under uses the consensus closing total.

Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.

No key players listed.

Key players only. Injury report as of October 18, 3:40 p.m. ET.

The pre-game matchup

The Blue Jackets (3-3-0) visited the Wild (5-2-1) on Sunday, October 18 at 6:10 PM ET.

Last season (2025-26), the Blue Jackets scored 3.09 goals per game (16th of 32) and allowed 3.09 (16th). The Wild scored 3.32 goals per game (11th of 32) and allowed 2.93 (4th). The Blue Jackets earned 56.1% of available standings points (15th) and the Wild 63.4% (7th).

Expected-goals share (5-on-5), the share of 5-on-5 expected goals created: Blue Jackets 51.4% (10th), Wild 50.9% (12th). Shot-attempt share (5-on-5), the share of all 5-on-5 shot attempts: Blue Jackets 50.8% (11th), Wild 48.2% (24th). High-danger chance share, the share of 5-on-5 high-danger chances: Blue Jackets 50.3% (15th), Wild 53.5% (10th). These are last season's full-season numbers because the new season's sample is still small; rosters change over the offseason.

The total closed 6.5, unchanged from the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Blue Jackets +158, Wild -192) prices the Blue Jackets at 37% and the Wild at 63%.

Written from the numbers available before kickoff.

Result

Final score and result vs the closing line

Columbus Blue Jackets 1, Minnesota Wild 2

Minnesota Wild won by 1.

Against the closing spread (Minnesota Wild -1.5): Columbus Blue Jackets covered.
Combined score 3 vs the closing total of 6.5: Under.
Minnesota Wild closed at -192 on the moneyline (a 63% no-vig market-implied chance).

Actual result

Final

Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Minnesota Wild 2

Decided

In regulation

Minnesota Wild won

Lead changes

Before the game: market and G&W

37%Market at the close63%

Columbus Blue JacketsMinnesota Wild

37%Market at the open63%

The market barely moved from open to close.

The G&W pregame win probability for this game is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.

Win probability

Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Columbus Blue Jackets 37%, Minnesota Wild 63%) and moving with every goal, penalty and the clock until the final.

Biggest swings

1st 18:12 — Minnesota Wild goal (0-1)Minnesota Wild 61% → 77% (+16 pts)
1st 19:12 — Columbus Blue Jackets goal (1-1)Columbus Blue Jackets 23% → 39% (+16 pts)
2nd 3:06 — Minnesota Wild goal (1-2)Minnesota Wild 62% → 79% (+17 pts)

Analytics members also see this chart starting from the G&W pregame win probability. See plans

Chance Quality Result

11%CBJ

Share of G&W replays won

89%MIN

1.0

Expected goals

3.9

Final score

Based on the quality of chances each team created, Minnesota Wild won 89% of G&W replays (Columbus Blue Jackets 11%). The result went to the side that created the better chances.

The Chance Quality Result describes the chances each team created. It is not the official result and never changes it or any record. Expected goals count regulation chances with both goalies in net; empty-net goals are not included. Season xG tables count every game state, empty nets included, so their totals differ.

Game DNA

The Chance Quality Result above favoured Minnesota Wild. Here is where that came from.

Blue Jackets	Goals	Wild
0.6	5-on-5 chancesexpected goals	2.8
0.4	Power-play chancesexpected goals	1.1
0.0	Other situations4-on-4, 3-on-3, short-handed	0.0
1.0	Chance Quality Result chancesthe three rows above, as in the result	3.9
0.1	Overtime and pulled-goalie chancesnot part of the Chance Quality Result	0.0
0.0	Second chancesrebounds and flurries, part of the above	0.7
-0.1	Finishinggoals vs expected on own shots	-1.9
+1.9	Goaltendingsaves vs expected · Cam Talbot 32/34 · Jesper Wallstedt 13/14	+0.1

Bar left: Blue Jackets gainedBar right: Wild gained

How the margin was built, from Minnesota Wild's side:

Chances +2.8Finishing & goaltending -1.8Minnesota Wild by 1

The first three rows add up to the Chance Quality Result's expected goals. Overtime chances and chances with a goalie pulled are listed on their own, and empty-net goals are not in expected goals. A team's finishing and the other team's goaltending are the same goals seen from each end.

The official play, graded

The official play on this game, at the price it was sent, graded against the final score.

Official playUnder 6.5 -1151.50uWIN +1.50u

Every official play is logged and graded, wins and losses alike. Full track record.

Line review

Minnesota Wild closed as the market favourite at 63% and won.

How the G&W pregame number compared with the close, and whether the line moved toward it, is available to Analytics members. See plans

Market

Closing line and line movement

Puck lineno move

OpenWild -1.5 (+131)
Blue Jackets +1.5 (-163)

CloseWild -1.5 (+130)
Blue Jackets +1.5 (-162)

Totalno move

Open6.5 (o +103 / u -125)

Close6.5 (o +100 / u -122)

Moneyline

OpenBlue Jackets +155 37%
Wild -190 63%

CloseBlue Jackets +158 37%
Wild -192 63%

Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.

Members

G&W Line

G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics

Projected score

Spread

Total

Win %

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Matchup

Head-to-head

The teams have met 14 times since 2018-19: the Blue Jackets won 4 and the Wild 10.

Date	Score	Line	Total
Dec 18, 2025	Wild 5, Blue Jackets 2 Wild won	Wild -115 favorite won	6.5 over
Oct 11, 2025	Blue Jackets 7, Wild 4 Blue Jackets won	Wild -162 underdog won	6 over
Oct 19, 2024	Wild 3, Blue Jackets 1 Wild won	Wild -178 favorite won	6.5 under
Oct 10, 2024	Blue Jackets 2, Wild 3 Wild won	Wild -285 favorite won	6.5 under
Jan 6, 2024	Wild 4, Blue Jackets 3 OT Wild won	Wild -129 favorite won	6 over

Regular-season meetings since 2018-19, most recent first. Line = consensus closing moneyline favorite and total where line history is available.

Teams