Avalanche beat Wild in five games

The Colorado Avalanche closed out the Minnesota Wild in five games on Wednesday, beating Minnesota 4-3 in overtime in Game 5 at Ball Arena in Denver. Brett Kulak scored at 3:52 of overtime, and the NHL’s second-round series page lists Colorado as the winner of the best-of-seven matchup by a 4-1 margin. (nhl.com) Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with 1:23 left in regulation after the Wild had taken a 3-0 first-period lead. Colorado advanced to the Western Conference final, according to NHL.com. (nhl.com) The result completed a series in which Colorado won Games 1, 2, 4 and 5, while Minnesota’s only victory came in Game 3. NHL.com’s playoff schedule page published on May 15 listed the final scores as 9-6, 5-2, 1-5, 5-2 and 4-3 in overtime. (nhl.com) The league’s recap said Colorado rallied from three goals down in the clincher. ### How did Colorado finish off the series in Game 5? Brett Kulak ended Game 5 with a one-timer from the right dot off a Martin Necas crossing pass at 3:52 of overtime, NHL.com said. The goal beat Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt and capped what the league described as a four-goal Colorado rally. Kulak said afterward that it was “a special goal in my career, for sure.” (nhl.com) Nathan MacKinnon forced overtime at 18:37 of the third period with goaltender Scott Wedgewood pulled for an extra attacker, NHL.com reported. The recap said MacKinnon’s wrist shot came from under the left dot and beat Wallstedt short side. Minnesota had led 3-0 after the first period before Colorado worked back into the game. (nhl.com) ### Which players were central to the clincher? Parker Kelly scored one goal and added one assist for Colorado in Game 5, and Martin Necas and Brent Burns each had two assists, according to NHL.com. Gabriel Landeskog singled out Kulak after the game, saying the defenseman “makes so many plays” and “defends hard.” (nhl.com) Nick Foligno scored twice for Minnesota in the loss, the NHL recap said. Jesper Wallstedt said MacKinnon’s late tying goal “definitely hurts a lot to me,” while Wild coach John Hynes called it “a heck of a shot by an unbelievable player.” (nhl.com) ### What did the five-game series look like overall? Colorado opened the matchup with a 9-6 home win on May 3 and followed it with a 5-2 victory on May 5, according to the NHL series page. Minnesota answered with a 5-1 win at home in Game 3 on May 9, but Colorado took control again with a 5-2 road win in Game 4 on May 11. Game 5 on May 13 ended the series. (nhl.com) The 4-1 series result sent the Avalanche through as the Central Division’s No. 1 seed, NHL.com said. The Wild entered the round as the Central’s No. 3 seed. ### Who will Colorado play next? (nhl.com) Colorado will play either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference final, according to NHL.com’s game recap. The league’s second-round schedule page, published May 15, listed Vegas as leading that series 3-2 before Game 6. Game 6 between Vegas and Anaheim was scheduled for Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET, NHL.com said in the Avalanche-Wild recap. (nhl.com) The broader second-round schedule page also showed the remaining dates and television windows for the other playoff series still in progress on May 15. (nhl.com) ### What did Colorado say about the turnaround? Kulak said after the game that Colorado could now “get some rest and turn our attention” to the next opponent. He said the team had kept its focus on Minnesota and would now watch the remaining Western series more closely. (nhl.com) May 15 was the date of the NHL’s latest second-round schedule update, and that page remained the league’s reference point for Colorado’s next round as other series finished. Colorado’s opponent will be either Vegas or Anaheim, with the Western Conference final schedule to follow once that matchup is set. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2)