Avalanche beat Wild in five games

The Colorado Avalanche closed out the Minnesota Wild in five games on May 13, winning Game 5 by a 4-3 score in overtime at Ball Arena in Denver. Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime, and Nathan MacKinnon forced the extra period with a late third-period goal after Colorado had trailed 3-0 in the first period. (nhl.com) The series result sent the Avalanche to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2022. The opponent became official on May 15, when the Vegas Golden Knights advanced and set up the next round against Colorado. ### How did Colorado finish off the series? Game 5 ended with Kulak converting Martin Necas’ crossing pass for the overtime winner, according to NHL.com. (nhl.com) The goal completed a four-goal Colorado comeback and gave the Avalanche a 4-1 series win over Minnesota. The Wild had built a 3-0 lead in the opening period, with Nick Foligno scoring twice, before Colorado pulled back. MacKinnon tied the game 3-3 with 1:23 left in regulation, beating Jesper Wallstedt short side after Scott Wedgewood had gone to the bench for an extra attacker. ### Which numbers best explain the series result? (nhl.com) The five-game series turned on Colorado’s control of four of the five results: 9-6 in Game 1, 5-2 in Game 2, 5-2 in Game 4 and 4-3 in overtime in Game 5. Minnesota’s only win was a 5-1 victory in Game 3 on May 9. Nathan MacKinnon entered the conference final leading Colorado with 13 playoff points, including seven goals, while Martin Necas had 11 points and Scott Wedgewood was 7-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average and a.914 save percentage, NHL.com said. (nhl.com) Those figures frame how Colorado arrived in the final four after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the Central Division and Western Conference. ### What did the players say after the comeback win? Brett Kulak called the overtime goal “a special goal in my career,” telling NHL.com that “it was a tough series” and that Minnesota was “a good team over there.” Gabriel Landeskog said Kulak “makes so many plays” and “defends hard,” adding that the defenseman was “in the right spot at the right time” on the winner. (nhl.com) Jesper Wallstedt said MacKinnon’s tying goal “definitely hurts a lot to me,” while Wild coach John Hynes called it “a heck of a shot by an unbelievable player.” Those comments came after Minnesota lost a three-goal first-period lead in the elimination game. (nhl.com) ### Who is next for Colorado, and how was that decided? The Vegas Golden Knights became Colorado’s next opponent after beating the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 on May 14 at Honda Center in Anaheim. NHL.com said that result ended the other Western Conference second-round series in six games and finalized the matchup for the conference final. (nhl.com) Colorado will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series because it was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, while Vegas was the No. 1 seed in the Pacific Division. NHL.com said the Avalanche went 2-0-1 against the Golden Knights in the regular season. (nhl.com) ### When does the Western Conference Final start? Game 1 of the Western Conference Final is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, according to NHL.com. The series opens in Colorado, with the Avalanche returning to the conference final for the first time in four years and the Golden Knights arriving after a six-game series against Anaheim. (nhl.com) Scott Wedgewood said he had been “watching highlights, keeping tabs” on the Vegas-Anaheim series, and added that “whoever you get you know it’s going to be a battle.” Colorado now turns from a five-game win over Minnesota to a best-of-seven series against Vegas with a Stanley Cup Final berth at stake. (nhl.com)