Home HOCKEY NHL Colorado One Win From Advancing After 5-2 Game 4 Victory Over Minnesota

Colorado One Win From Advancing After 5-2 Game 4 Victory Over Minnesota

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Colorado Vs Minnesota
Avalanche rout Wild 5-2 in game 4, take 3-1 series lead

Avalanche outshot the Wild 34-21 and scored twice into an empty net to take control of the series. Game 5 is Wednesday in Colorado.


With 16 different goal scorers, the Avalanche matched a playoff high and pushed Minnesota to the brink with a 5-2 win in Game 4...


The Colorado Avalanche moved one win from closing out the series, downing the Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 4 on Monday night to go up 3-1.


Minnesota, coming off their first home defeat of the playoffs, now faces elimination. Game 5 shifts back to Colorado on Wednesday, May 13th, where the Wild get one more shot to extend their season.


The numbers don’t favor Minnesota. When leading 3-1 at home, Colorado holds a 10-2 record in playoff series. The Wild are 2-5 when trailing 3-1 on the road.


After replacing Scott Wedgewood in Game 3, Mackenzie Blackwood started Game 4 and finished with 19 saves.


Early Sparks Fly

It took less than a minute for tempers to flare. Danila Yurov of Minnesota and Colorado’s Ross Colton both received roughing minors just 48 seconds into the first period.


Yurov atoned quickly, netting his first career playoff goal on Minnesota’s opening power play to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. The tally made him the 50th player to score their first postseason goal during these playoffs.


Brock Faber and Vladimir Tarasenko drew the assists on the goal. Faber’s helper was his sixth point of the run, putting him alongside Quinn Hughes as the only defensemen in Wild history to reach double-digit points in a single postseason.





Minnesota capitalized on the man advantage after Josh Manson was handed a double-minor for butt-ending Michael McCarron in the head.


Speaking during the first intermission, McCarron didn’t hold back: “(Manson) is a dirty player. I'm happy he's still in the game.”




The second period brought rising tension. For the first 32 minutes, Colorado dominated possession, outshooting Minnesota 21-5.


The Avalanche couldn’t capitalize on their first power play of the period, but they made no mistake on the next one. 


Six minutes into the frame, Nazem Kadri tied it at 1-1 with his second goal of the playoffs, assisted by Martin Necas for his seventh point of the postseason.




With 1:07 left in the period, Avs fans held their breath when Nathan MacKinnon took a puck to the face. 


Devon Toews had attempted to clear the puck into the corner but caught MacKinnon under the visor instead. MacKinnon was cleared from concussion protocol and returned for the start of the third. 


What initially looked like a hit to the mouth was later confirmed to be a hit to the nose.

 



Minnesota picked up some momentum late in the second, trimming the shot gap to 21-12, but the period still belonged to Colorado.


The Wild came out strong in the third and nearly grabbed a couple goals, yet the Avalanche quickly regained control.




Ross Colton broke through for his first goal of the playoffs early in the third, giving Colorado a 2-1 lead. Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews recorded the assists. 


The goal came at 46:56, marking the longest stretch of the series before either team scored at even strength.


What seemed like it would be a Colorado-controlled contest quickly turned into a back-and-forth scoring battle with Minnesota.




Nico Sturm matched Colton’s milestone, scoring his first career playoff goal to tie the game 2-2 just over two minutes later. Quinn Hughes set him up with a slick pass for his 10th assist of the postseason, while Marcus Foligno picked up his second assist of the playoffs.




The Avalanche answered back almost immediately, regaining the lead a little more than two minutes after Sturm’s goal.


Parker Kelly joined the first-goal club, netting his first of the playoffs and of his career to make it 3-2 Colorado.


Jack Drury earned his second assist of the postseason on the play. 


With Kelly’s goal, Colorado now has 16 different goal scorers in these playoffs, tying the now-eliminated Philadelphia Flyers for the most on any team this postseason.




Minnesota kept battling and even won most of the late face-offs, but it wasn’t enough to swing the game.


Nathan MacKinnon sealed it with his sixth goal of the playoffs, an empty-netter that made it 4-2 despite playing through a bloody nose. Brock Nelson added another empty-net goal moments later to close out the 5-2 final.




Colorado finished with advantages in both shots 34-21 and hits 30-28. The Avalanche put up at least 10 shots in every period, while holding the Wild under 10 in each of the three frames.





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