Wild stifled by Avalanche’s impressive bounce back
In late April, the Wild earned their first playoff series win in more than a decade by bouncing back. They trailed Dallas 2-1 in the series, and were down by a goal in Game 4, facing the possibility of traveling back to Texas to face elimination. Instead, they tied the game, won it in overtime, and grabbed the next two games to reach Round 2.
And there, in Round 2, on Monday, they got a hard lesson in how great teams bounce back. The Wild had routed Colorado in Game 3, getting back into the series with a 5-1 win. They took a lead in Game 4, only to see the powerful Avalanche turn the tables and dominate long stretches.
Trailing in the third period, the Wild forged a 2-2 tie on the strength of Nico Sturm’s first playoff goal since 2021. And from there, it was all Colorado. By the time it was over, the Avalanche led the series 3-1, and the NHL’s best regular season team had improved to 7-1 in the playoffs.
Most notably, immediately after Sturm’s goal, the Avalanche hemmed Minnesota into the defensive zone, and didn’t relent until Parker Kelly had scored the game-winner. They added two more into an empty net for a 5-2 win. “They’re a good team too.
They’re gonna have good shifts. They’re gonna have pushes. You gotta try and limit those,” Wild forward Matt Boldy said.