Postgame: Avalanche Complete Comeback in OT, Eliminate Wild in 5 Games

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The Colorado Avalanche saved their most epic performance of the playoffs for the series clincher in the second round. And what a game it was.

The Avalanche erased a three-goal deficit, scoring twice late in the third period before winning it 4-3 in overtime on a goal from stay-at-home defenseman Brett Kulak at 3:52. They clinched a series at Ball Arena for the first time in 18 years. Colorado is heading to the Western Conference Final and will face the winner of the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights.

“I wish we’d find an easier way,” a relieved and smiling head coach, Jared Bednar, said.

Kulak fired a one-timer into the back of the net off a setup from Martin Necas. It was just his fourth career playoff goal in 107 postseason games. And it’s the first game winner of his career.

“I’m not the guy everyone’s looking down the bench like, ‘alright, get out there and go win it for us,” Kulak said.

Parker Kelly, Jack Drury, and Nathan MacKinnon scored in regulation for Colorado, which trailed 3-0 at the first intermission. Brent Burns and Necas each had two assists. Kelly also added a helper.

MacKinnon’s tally was his seventh of the postseason and extended his goal-scoring streak to six games. But Kelly, Drury, and Kulak combined for just two playoff goals entering Game 5.

“We’ve talked about it from Day 1 of training camp. The depth is what’s going to win you games coming down the stretch here and in the playoffs,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “Guys are stepping up all over the place. Even guys who aren’t getting on the scoresheet are still contributing with so many important plays all over the ice.”

Bednar pulled starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood to put Scott Wedgewood back between the pipes at the first intermission. Wedgewood faced only seven shots in the final two periods and overtime. Blackwood gave up three goals on 13 shots before getting yanked.

“Regular season game, I would have left Blackwood in there. He was no different than the rest of our team,” Bednar said. “But you’re looking for a spark. He wasn’t controlling the rebounds. There was too much garbage in front of the net.”

Jesper Wallstedt got his fourth start of the series for the Wild and made 30 saves. The Wild didn’t get a shot from Kirill Kaprizov or Brock Faber.

As for the Avalanche, the chances were coming from everywhere. Entering the second period, Colorado had a large hill to climb and started chipping away at the Minnesota defense. Bednar’s team was finishing every check, forechecking hard, fighting for loose pucks and throwing everything they can at Wallstedt.

Even when the chances weren’t all that great — while the Avalanche still looked like they were missing a step — they still didn’t stop at least trying to pour it on. This is part of why the Wild had only seven shots on goal the rest of the way, and why the Avs’ confidence never wavered.

“I mean it was a tough, tough night at the start. MacKinnon said. “But the good news is we were down early, and we had time to come back.

Kelly picked up where he left off after scoring the Game 3 winner. He got the first Avalanche goal 11 minutes into the second to give the team life. But despite outshooting the opposition 9-3, that was the only tally they could get past Wallstedt.

“We dominated the second and we didn’t get rewarded,” Kelly said.

The third felt different. The Avs weren’t moving as well as in the middle frame. Minnesota seemed to be parking the bus, and there were few opportunities at both ends of the ice. It felt like the teams were inching closer to a Game 6 in Minnesota.

But then the depth continued to step up and would not let that be. Late in regulation, Drury won a faceoff in the offensive zone, and the Avs moved the puck well. Eventually, it ended up on Devon Toews’ stick at the point, and his shot was redirected in by Drury to make it 3-2 with just 3:33 remaining.

“At that point, you don’t really think about how much time is left. We had a plan, six on five,” Landeskog said.

The Avalanche didn’t let up. The game was entirely tilted in their favor. But amid this comeback, Cale Makar was in and out of the lineup after aggravating what appears to be a shoulder injury earlier in the frame. With Makar playing limited minutes, and Sam Malinski still absent from the lineup with an upper-body injury, Bednar sent out Burns as the point man on the six-on-five attack.

He was joined by MacKinnon, Landeskog, Necas, Nazem Kadri, and Brock Nelson. Burns, playing the point, got as many pucks to the net as he could, often keeping the puck from exiting the zone to keep the momentum in Colorado’s favor.

The game-tying goal didn’t come on any of those plays, but Burns ended up giving it to Necas, who found MacKinnon in the circle. The Avalanche’s superstar center picked his corner, beating Wallstedt top shelf, short side from a bad angle. The game was tied with 2:23 remaining.

“Burns had a couple good shots. I just saw a little daylight and just threw it there,” MacKinnon said. “Doesn’t always go in where you want it to. Happy it did.”

Added Kelly: “Didn’t really look like there was much there. We’re all standing on the bench, and you just see it hit the top of the net. And, yeah, just, what a shot.”

The scoring started right off the opening drop of the puck. The Wild won the faceoff, took it into the Avs end, and just 34 seconds in, Marcus Johansson got the road team on the board on their third shot. It was a far cry from the Avalanche defending that only gave up five shots in more than half a game on Monday.

Minnesota kept coming, and Colorado kept making bad decisions. Jared Bednar’s club was making the wrong decision on breakouts, defensive coverage, and neutral-zone play. They had a couple of breakouts from the top line but couldn’t generate any great looks from them.

The Wild eventually added to their lead, as Nick Foligno scored his first of the postseason at the 11:03 mark. Not long after that, Michael McCarron thought he had a goal, but a league-initiated review took it off the board after it was determined that he batted it into the net with his glove.

The Avalanche still had a penalty to kill on that play and were successful. Blackwood made two solid saves on the PK and looked a lot more comfortable than he did earlier. But it wasn’t enough to get the Avalanche going.

Instead, they gave up a third goal 90 seconds after Landeskog exited the box, for an all-important third goal for the Wild. Once again, Nick Foligno found the back of the net. That was the last goal Minnesota got in the series.

They were shut down for the remaining 47:56 of action.

Good: The Belief​

The veterans on this team were never going to let this game get away. I’m going to write a follow up on this soon, but the belief of the group, even when they were down 3-0, and even as they played discombobulated hockey, was always there.

Bad: Unacceptable Start​

Bednar said something, albeit while joking, about wishing his team had made it easier to win this game. They were clearly the better team and proved it for the final 40 minutes of regulation. Not to pick at what ended up being an epic night, but that was an unacceptable start in many ways.

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