MHH Roundtable: New Horizons in the Western Conference Final

ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - MAY 11: MacKenzie Blackwood #39 and Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrate with teammates after a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena on May 11, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images We did it, the Colorado Avalanche have advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second time since 2002! As we wait for the first game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, May 20th to begin that pivotal next round, let’s put a bow on the five-game second round defeat of the Minnesota Wild.

What is the best part of making the western conference finals? Jess: The Game 5 experience on the whole was just absolutely incredible. My dad and I were in the building for it, and for a good bit, I was debating whether or not that showing in the first period was worse than the 7-3 loss to Nashville that my youngest sister and I had seen in person during the regular season.

Then, you saw the Avs push back against Minnesota from the second period onward, as they gave the Wild really nothing at all on the offensive side of the puck, with Minnesota generating a measly seven shots on goal combined in the second and third periods. Obviously, the rest is history, and what was looking like one of the worst games I’d seen in person turned into the best game I’ve ever seen in person. The game was insane, the atmosphere was electric, my voice was absolutely toast afterwards, and it was absolutely worth it.

Matthew: The best part is that the Avs weren’t just handed a trip to the Conference Final: they earned it. From training camp on, the goals were spelled out: win home ice, win the Central Division, finish first in the West, and clinch the Presidents Trophy. They earned all of that to get their sweep of Los Angeles and a five game finish over a Minnesota team that, even injured, proved to be a formidable foe.