Brett Kulak scores 3:52 into OT, Avs advance to West final with 4-3 win over Wild
DENVER, CO - MAY 13: Left wing Joel Kiviranta (94) of the Colorado Avalanche reacts to a goal by teammate center Parker Kelly (17) of the Colorado Avalanche during the second period of Game 5 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) Timothy Hurst/Denver Post via Getty Images Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime after Nathan MacKinnon tied it late in regulation and the Colorado Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Kulak capped a wild comeback for the Avalanche, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period.
Colorado moves on to the conference final for an eighth time since relocating to Denver in 1995-96. The Avalanche will face the Vegas-Anaheim winner. Vegas leads that series 3-2.
With Minnesota up 3-1, Jack Drury scored with 3:33 remaining to set the stage for MacKinnon’s goal with 1:23 left with the Colorado goal empty. The star forward sent a shot from the left side past Jesper Wallstedt and into a small space in the top left corner. In overtime, Martin Necas took the puck, glided behind the net and back out front, where he found an open Kulak.
Without missing a stride, he lined it past Wallstedt. Kulak joined the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal that Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh.
Kulak was the 16th Avalanche player to score in the series. “You always like to dream about it,” Kulak said. “The player I am, I’m not the guy (they’re) looking down the bench, hollering, ‘Get out there, go win it for us.