05/11/26 10:15:00
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05/11 22:14 CDT Avalanche bounce back to beat the Wild 5-2 and take a 3-1 lead
in the series
Avalanche bounce back to beat the Wild 5-2 and take a 3-1 lead in the series
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) --- Ross Colton and Parker Kelly each scored in the third
period for Colorado, an opportune time for their first goals of the postseason
as the high-scoring Avalanche snapped back from a mid-series lull and beat the
Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 4 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in the second
round of the NHL playoffs.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this postseason after
relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the
Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western
Conference finals. Game 5 will be in Denver on Wednesday.
Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon
--- who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose from a puck to the face ---
and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.
Nico Sturm tied the game at 2 for Minnesota with his first goal of the
postseason about two minutes after Colton put the Avalanche up by 1. The Wild
were outshot 20-5 over roughly the first half of the game by an energized
Colorado offense.
After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the
league's best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games
before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.
Colton and Kelly became the 15th and 16th players to score for the Avalanche in
just eight postseason games this spring.
Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first career postseason goal on a deflection
midway through the first period for the Wild during a four-minute power play
prompted by a double minor penalty on defenseman Josh Manson.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and
https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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