Avalanche beats Wild in Game 4

Colorado grabbed back control of this series on Monday night. The Avalanche beat the Wild 5-2 in St. Paul, answered Minnesota’s Game 3 punch, and moved within one win of the Western Conference final. That matters because Game 3 had finally cracked Colorado’s playoff run. Game 4 showed the Avs still have the cleaner margin for error when the game tightens late. ### What actually happened in Game 4? This one was close for most of the night. Colorado led 2-1, Minnesota pulled even at 2-2, and the game stayed in that tense middle ground until Parker Kelly buried the go-ahead goal at 11:32 of the third period. The Avalanche then put it away with two empty-net goals for the 5-2 final. (nhl.com) ### Why was Kelly’s goal the swing? Because it came from a mistake Colorado immediately punished. Jake Middleton turned the puck over in the defensive zone, Jack Drury fed Kelly, and Kelly ripped a one-timer from the slot. That made it 3-2 and changed the whole feel of the night — from coin flip to chase mode for Minnesota. It was also Kelly’s first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal, which is a big moment to get in a game this pivotal. (nhl.com) ### Was this a stars game or a depth game? Mostly a depth game — and that’s a big reason Colorado should feel good about it. The Avalanche are always dangerous when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar drive play, but playoff series usually turn when the secondary pieces start deciding nights. Denver’s local coverage framed this exactly that way: Colorado needed “the other guys,” and got them. That’s the kind of win that travels well from game to game. (nhl.com) ### What changed from Game 3? Minnesota had finally pushed Colorado around in Game 3, winning 5-1 on Saturday, May 9, and handing the Avalanche their first loss of the 2026 playoffs. That result made the series feel alive again. But Game 4 cut off the Wild’s chance to turn this into a best-of-three. Instead of 2-2, it’s now 3-1 Colorado. That is a massive swing in playoff math and in pressure. (denverpost.com) ### How big is 3-1 here? Huge. Colorado now goes home with a chance to close the series in Game 5. Minnesota, meanwhile, has almost no room left for a bad shift, a bad penalty, or a soft turnover. That’s the catch with a game like this — it can look competitive on the scoreboard, but once the trailing team loses late, the series picture changes fast. (nhl.com) ### Did the Wild do anything encouraging? A little. Minnesota did enough to keep the game level deep into the third, which means the Wild were not overwhelmed the way they were in stretches of Games 1 and 2. But moral victories are basically useless at 3-1. The Wild needed to cash in their home split after finally solving Colorado in Game 3. They didn’t. (si.com) ### So what should you watch next? Watch whether Minnesota can drag Game 5 into another messy, emotional game like Game 3 — or whether Colorado turns it back into an execution contest. When the Avs get timely depth scoring and force one defensive mistake into a goal, they look like the more complete team in this matchup. (nhl.com) ### Bottom line Colorado didn’t just win Game 4. The Avalanche erased the doubt Minnesota created two nights earlier and put the Wild on elimination watch. One more win, and this series is over. (nhl.com)