Parker Kelly scored the go-ahead goal with 8:28 left in the third period and the Colorado Avalanche pulled away for a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Monday in Saint Paul, Minn.
Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute for the Avalanche, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Colorado’s Nazem Kadri and Ross Colton also scored, Martin Necas had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves.
“I think this series is about who can get to their game the fastest and stick with it the longest,” Kelly said.
Blackwood, who appeared in relief on Saturday, started for the first time in this year’s playoffs on Monday. Scott Wedgewood was in net for the Avalanche’s first seven postseason games.
“(Blackwood) went in the net and did exactly what I was hoping he would do,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said.
Danila Yurov and Nico Sturm tallied for the Wild, who will try to stave off elimination when the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Minnesota goaltender Jesper Wallstedt allowed three goals on 32 shots.
“I think we didn’t play direct enough,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I think the style of game that we needed to play to win the game, we didn’t (play it). We made the conscious choice not to play that way tonight.”
The score was tied at 2-all when Kelly forced a turnover by the Wild and capitalized on a one-timer from the slot. His rising shot produced his first career playoff goal.
Minnesota pulled Wallstedt for an extra skater with less than two minutes to go, but Blackwood withstood the pressure. Colorado capitalized on an empty-net goal by MacKinnon with 32.6 seconds left and another one by Nelson with 7.3 seconds remaining.
The Wild opened the scoring on the power play with 10:14 to go in the first period. Brock Faber ripped a one-timer from just inside the blue line in the middle, and Yurov deflected it into the back of the net for his first career playoff goal.
The Avalanche answered with a power-play goal of their own with 13:52 remaining in the second period. Kadri fired an initial shot from the right circle that Wallstedt stopped, but the rebound kicked right back to him and he scored on the second attempt.
Colton gave Colorado a 2-1 lead with 13:04 left in the third period. Nicolas Roy had the puck in the right circle and zipped it across the slot for Colton, who punched in a shot.
The Wild answered to even the score at 2-all with 10:45 left. Quinn Hughes fired a backhand pass to Sturm, who buried a one-timer from the right circle.
MacKinnon left the game late in the second period after taking a puck to the face. He held a towel over his mouth and nose as he left, but he returned to action at the start of the third period.
–Field Level Media
