With their season hanging in the balance, the Wild will be without both center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin in Wednesday’s must-win Game 5 against the Avs. After Monday night’s 5-2 loss in Game 4, the Wild trail Colorado three games to one in the second-round Western Conference playoff series.

Eriksson Ek was available for the entirety of the first-round win over Dallas, registering five points (three goals, two assists) against the Stars. However, he has so far missed the entire second-round series due to a lower-body injury. Like Eriksson Ek, Brodin has been absent so far for the entire series against the Avs with a lower-body injury. Brodin also missed the series finale win over Dallas in the first round.

According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, neither Brodin nor Erkisson Ek will travel for Wednesday’s Game 5 in Denver. It’s unclear if either would have a chance to play in a possible Game 6 back in St. Paul on Friday. Some reports have suggested that Eriksson Ek is closer to being available than Brodin.

Apr 20, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game between the Stars and the Wild in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Manson fined $5K for butt-ending McCarron

Avs defenseman Josh Manson was fined $5,000 by the league for butt-ending Wild forward Michael McCarron in the first period of Monday night’s Game 4.

Manson was issued a double minor penalty in the first period after referees determined he hit McCarron with the butt end of his stick while the two were laying entangled on the ice after a collision. The Wild would go on to score the game’s first goal during the penalty.

During the first intermission break, McCarron blasted Manson in an interview on ESPN, saying that Manson is “a dirty player.”

“He’s always been,” continued McCarron. “I’m surprised he got away with only a four-minute. I’m happy he’s still in the game.”

Despite the harsh criticism, there were no further incidents between the two throughout the game on Monday. However, in postgame comments to the media, both voiced their opinions on the incident.

“I blew him up, and he grabbed me and pulls me on top of him,” McCarron said after the 5-2 loss. “He took his butt end and clearly butt-ended me in the face. I don’t know how it’s not a five-minute. I think the rulebook says it’s a five-minute if you butt-end someone in the face.”

When asked about the incident, Manson said it wasn’t his intention to hit McCarron with his stick.

“I mean, he hits me, but then he lands on me. So I didn’t really like that, to be honest with you,” said Manson. “We’re in a scrum, and I just, I mean, I butt-ended him. Was it on purpose? Was that my intention? Absolutely not. My intention wasn’t to butt-end him. Did I want to punch him in the head? I did want to punch him in the head.

“Yeah, I was trying to give him a smack because I didn’t like that he landed on me. I didn’t think that was fully necessary. But, you know, I served my four-minute penalty. They looked at it and, yeah, like I said, it wasn’t my intention to butt-end him in the face. It was more trying to smack him in the head. I think I just lost awareness of where the grip was.”

In light of McCarron’s claims that Manson is a “dirty player,” the Avalanche defenseman said, “That’s fine. If he wants to call me a dirty player, you can just look at my history. It’s been 13 years and I haven’t been suspended yet. So, obviously I’m not that dirty.”

The Wild will have to find a way to upset the odds on Wednesday in Denver for Game 5. The Avs have yet to lose at home during the postseason, including claiming a pair of wins to open the series against the Wild. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on TNT/truTV/HBO Max.

This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Sports section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.