Colorado Avalanche – Colorado erased a three-goal deficit, won Game 5 in overtime, and advanced to the Western Conference final for the eighth time since moving to Denver.
A three-goal deficit didn’t just disappear for the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5, it turned into momentum—leading to an overtime winner and a trip to the Western Conference final.
Colorado advanced to the Western Conference final for the eighth time since relocating to Denver. defeating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 with a goal by defenseman Brett Kulak in overtime.. Jared Bednar. the team’s coach. described the moment as “something. ” capturing the shock of a comeback that erased a three-goal gap and flipped the series at a critical juncture.
The Avalanche’s path to the final round highlights how unusual their postseason profile has been in recent years.. It was only the second time in the last nine playoff appearances that Colorado managed to get past the second round.. In 2022. the team went on to win the Stanley Cup—setting expectations that remain hard to escape in a franchise built around championship-level talent.
Led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Colorado operates in what Bednar and others around the franchise describe as a “Cup-or-bust” environment.. That standard is shaped not only by star power. but also by a roster designed for depth. including a Wild series in which 16 different players scored.. In this season’s postseason identity, the Avalanche weren’t dependent on a single scorer to make the difference.
Before the playoffs, Colorado also carried the kind of regular-season dominance that feeds those expectations.. Among preseason favorites. the Avalanche finished first in the NHL standings and captured their fourth Presidents’ Trophy. awarded to the team with the best record.. Like the Carolina Hurricanes. they’re rolling into the conference finals. though with different trajectories: Carolina advanced through sweeps. while Colorado needed nine games to advance. including a first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings.
As of Thursday, Colorado was viewed as a slight favorite over the Hurricanes to win the Cup.. The next opponent for the Avalanche is still to be determined. with their semifinal slot set to be either Vegas or Anaheim.. During the regular season. Colorado went 2-0-1 against both the Golden Knights and the Ducks. a detail that adds another layer to what comes next.
Kulak’s decisive goal underscored how quickly the Avalanche can turn a game once it swings.. After a frantic finish. the defenseman took a precise pass from Martin Necas and sent it into the net. igniting a capacity crowd.. The celebration was made more striking by how long Kulak had gone without scoring—his previous goal came on Jan.. 19, when he was with Pittsburgh, before being traded to Colorado the following month.
Colorado also ended a long home-ice wait in these playoffs.. It marked the first time the Avalanche won a series on home ice since 2008. when they beat the Wild in Game 6 of the conference quarterfinals.. For captain Gabriel Landeskog. the atmosphere carried extra weight: he returned to play in his first regular-season action since 2022 after a knee injury sidelined him.
The win served as both release and reset.. Landeskog said the building felt like it could shake at any moment. and described the moment as “a sigh of relief” after getting through a tense run of games.. That emotional shift matters in the postseason. where teams often look for any sign that momentum and confidence are building rather than fading.
While Colorado advances, it also enters the next round with a chance to stabilize.. The Avalanche had been without forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski for the last two games of the Wild series due to upper-body injuries.. Cale Makar also left Wednesday’s game briefly after a collision, though he returned.
After the grind of a playoff series, even a few days can influence who is ready for the next matchup. Kulak said the playoffs are a long stretch and that maintaining focus is key, adding that the team can use the downtime to rest.
Colorado’s track record in the conference finals since moving to Denver adds further perspective to its current run.. Since the 1995-96 season, the team has posted a 3-4 record in the conference finals.. Even so, whenever it has advanced, the franchise has followed up with a banner—winning in 1996, 2001, and 2022.
Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, meanwhile, offered a measure of respect for what Colorado has been able to sustain. He said the Avalanche are a really good team, an acknowledgement that goes beyond a single comeback and speaks to the style and depth that have carried them through multiple rounds.
Depth has been central to Colorado’s postseason performance.. In the second round. the 16 different players who scored for the Avalanche is tied for the most in a single series. according to NHL Stats.. Landeskog pointed directly to that strength. saying the depth is what tends to win as the playoffs stretch on and that contributions were showing up across the roster.
Even between the pipes, the team’s situation has evolved.. Colorado’s goaltending story has shifted after Mackenzie Blackwood surrendered three goals in the first period. prompting Scott Wedgewood to take over in the second period.. Wedgewood stopped all seven shots he faced in the second and third periods and saw none in overtime.
Wedgewood said he was proud to make the conference final with the group. emphasizing that Colorado knew the series would not be an easy out and that there’s still a long road ahead.. For a team already operating under intense championship expectations. the focus now turns to maintaining the same intensity—while ensuring the lingering injuries and game-to-game adjustments don’t disrupt the next stage.
For the Avalanche, the result is another milestone run in Denver: a Western Conference final appearance shaped by resilience, depth, and a late-game finish that arrived from a player who hadn’t scored in months.
Colorado Avalanche Minnesota Wild Western Conference final NHL playoffs Brett Kulak overtime Gabriel Landeskog return
wait they moved from denver??
i honestly thought minnesota had this one locked up after the third period so i turned it off and went to bed and woke up to this lol my husband was texting me all night i just dont even know how you blow a lead like that in the playoffs its just brutal for wild fans
the wild have been doing this for years though like every single playoffs they find a new way to break your heart and people keep acting surprised but its honestly just who they are as a team at this point, they just cannot close games when it matters and i dont think its coaching either its just something mental with that whole organization, anyway hope colorado does something with this because last few years they just kinda fell apart after getting this far
Brett Kulak scored the winner?? isnt he like a fourth line guy or something i feel like i never hear his name the whole season and then he just shows up in overtime of a playoff elimination game and scores like that honestly thats the kind of story that makes hockey so good nobody expected that at all and the fact that they came back from three goals down to win is just insane i remember 2022 when they won the cup and everyone thought they were gonna be a dynasty but then the last couple years were kinda disappointing so maybe this is them getting back to that level who knows but i wouldnt count them out now they got that momentum thing going and overtime wins just feel different they carry into the next series i really believe that