Avalanche bounce back to beat Wild, go up 3-1
Key takeaways
- Nico Sturm tied the score 2-2 for Minnesota with his first goal of the postseason about two minutes after Colton put the Avalanche up by one.
- After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the league's best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.
- Colton and Kelly became the 15th and 16th players to score for the Avalanche in just eight postseason games this spring.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Ross Colton and Parker Kelly each scored in the third period for Colorado, an opportune time for their first goals of the postseason as the high-scoring Avalanche snapped back from a mid-series lull and beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 4 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in the second round of the playoffs.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this postseason after relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western Conference finals. Game 5 will be in Denver on Wednesday.
Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon -- who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose after getting hit by a puck in the face -- and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.