Avalanche Erase Three-Goal Deficit in 4-3 Overtime Victory Over Wild
The Colorado Avalanche secured a 4-3, overtime victory against the visiting Minnesota Wild at Ball Arena Wednesday night to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals. Trailing by three goals after an abysmal opening period, Colorado made a methodical comeback that concluded with an overtime winner. Defenseman Brett Kulak earned First Star of the Game honors after delivering the game-winning goal and an assist. Avalanche forward Martin Necas was named the Second Star for his two-assist performance, while Wild forward Nick Foligno took home the Third Star following a two-goal outing.
Thankfully, the Avalanche also appear to have avoided a potential significant injury to Cale Makar. The Avs’ star defenseman briefly left the game after an awkward collision with Mats Zuccarello in the third period, but did return to the game, and now gets some extra days to heal up, as the Avalanche will now enjoy at least a couple days off while they wait for the winner of the Ducks vs. Golden Knights series.
Game Highlights
Minnesota controlled the opening 20 minutes, building a 3-0 advantage. Marcus Johansson initiated the scoring just 34 seconds into the game, beating Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood with a snap shot assisted by Matt Boldy and Quinn Hughes. Later in the period, Nick Foligno extended the lead with back-to-back tallies. His first came with 8:57 remaining on a tip-in set up by Nico Sturm and Kirill Kaprizov. Foligno struck again with 4:04 left in the frame, capitalizing on helpers from Sturm and Boldy with a 10-foot snap shot.
Facing a three-goal deficit, Colorado replaced Blackwood with Scott Wedgewood to start the second period. The goaltending switch stabilized the defensive zone, allowing the Avalanche to begin chipping away. With exactly nine minutes remaining in the middle frame, Parker Kelly put Colorado on the board by tipping in a feed from Brent Burns and Brett Kulak.
The Avalanche sustained their pressure into the third period. With 3:33 remaining, Jack Drury connected on a tip-in opportunity assisted by Devon Toews and Nicolas Roy, cutting the deficit to one. Colorado tied the game 3-3 with just 1:23 left in regulation when Nathan MacKinnon fired a 20-foot wrist shot into the upper-left corner, set up by Martin Necas and Burns.
In overtime, Colorado completed the comeback 3:52 into the extra session. Kulak finalized the 4-3 victory with a 29-foot snap shot, finishing a sequence orchestrated by Necas and Kelly.
Key Takeaways
Shot Volume Overcomes High-Danger Efficiency
Colorado generated sustained offensive zone time, nearly doubling Minnesota’s output with 88 total shot attempts to the Wild’s 46. While the Avalanche ended up with 33 shots on net, finishing, Minnesota capitalized on fewer but higher-quality looks. The Wild scored three goals on 20 shots on goal, converting high-danger opportunities. Foligno scored on one of his only two high-danger attempts, and Minnesota converted on 40% of their shots from the slot (2-for-5). Ultimately, Colorado’s sheer volume of attempts—including critical strikes from the high slot and right circle—wore down the opposing defense and dictated the outcome.
Minnesota Edges the Faceoff Circle
Though the Avalanche had been winning the faceoff battle over the course of the series, the Wild controlled possession off the draw in Game 5, winning 52.2% of the game’s 69 total faceoffs, including a 51.6% win rate at even strength. Minnesota’s center depth was a factor, with Nico Sturm winning 64.3% of his matchups (9 of 14) and Michael McCarron securing 62.5% (15 of 24). To counter this overall deficit, Colorado relied heavily on its top centers to maintain possession in critical situations. Nathan MacKinnon won 58.8% of his 17 faceoffs, and Jack Drury took 57.9% of his 19 draws, ensuring the Avalanche retained enough puck control to facilitate their comeback.
Relief Goaltending and Blue Line Endurance
A prolonged overtime matchup demanded heavy usage from both teams’ top defensive pairings. Minnesota’s Brock Faber led all skaters with 32:06 of ice time over 34 shifts, followed by Quinn Hughes at 30:35. Devon Toews anchored Colorado’s blue line with 29:45 of action. The turning point, however, occurred in the crease. Wedgewood entered in relief to start the second period and logged 43:14 of perfect goaltending, stopping every shot he faced to give the Avalanche an opportunity to recover. Conversely, Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt was under constant duress, facing 63:21 of steady action against a high-volume Colorado attack.
Looking Forward
Wednesday’s overtime victory clinched the series for the Avalanche, as they now advance to the Western Conference Finals. Colorado will wait to find out their opponent in the next round, as the Golden Knights take a 3-2 series lead into Anaheim to face the Ducks on Thursday night. Were the Ducks to prevail, a potential Game 7 in that series would take place on Saturday, May 16.
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Sportradar Content Studio contributed to this story.
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