Avalanche Rally Past Wild 5-2, Move Within One Win of Western Conference Finals.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Colorado Avalanche answered their Game 3 setback with a composed and relentless effort Monday night, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 4 to seize a commanding 3-1 series lead in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Colorado broke open a tied game in the third period behind timely goals from Ross Colton and Parker Kelly, each netting their first goals of the postseason as the Avalanche regained control of the series. “It’s about staying prepared,” Kelly said after the win. “Everybody in this room is ready when their moment comes.” The Avalanche, who struggled offensively in Saturday’s loss, looked sharper from the opening faceoff and dictated much of the pace. Colorado heavily outshot Minnesota early and consistently pressured Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt with traffic and rebound chances. Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first playoff start after replacing Scott Wedgewood in Game 3, stopped 19 shots and provided stability in net. The veteran goalie said he learned only a day earlier that he would get the start. “You’re not going to feel perfect after being off for that long,” Blackwood said. “I just tried to stay focused and ready.” Nazem Kadri gave Colorado momentum with a power-play goal in the second period, while Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute to seal the victory. MacKinnon briefly left the ice earlier in the game after taking a puck to the face, returning shortly after with a bloodied nose.

Minnesota showed flashes of life throughout the night. Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first postseason goal midway through the first period on a deflection during a four-minute power play following a double minor against Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson. Later, Nico Sturm tied the game at 2-2 early in the third period, briefly energizing the home crowd. But the Wild struggled to sustain offensive-zone pressure for long stretches and failed to match Colorado’s pace and puck movement. “The style we needed to play to win wasn’t there tonight,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “We’ll address it and get ready for Game 5.” After exploding for 14 goals across the first two games of the series, Colorado had been slowed in Game 3 by Wallstedt’s standout performance. On Monday, however, the Avalanche returned to their aggressive attacking style. Colton’s eventual game-winning goal came off a crisp cross-slot feed from Nicolas Roy before Kelly added insurance minutes later. Colorado has now received goals from 16 different players through eight playoff games, underscoring the team’s offensive depth. “They were quick with the puck and got it deep,” Wallstedt said. “They generated rebounds and chances around the net. That’s the style we want to play too — it just took us longer to get there.” The Avalanche can close out the series Wednesday night when the matchup shifts back to Denver for Game 5.