Game 3 was the Colorado Avalanche’s worst performance of the playoffs so far. Too many defensive lapses, too many turnovers in the offensive zone—it was a game to learn from rather than forget. A key change came in net, with MacKenzie Blackwood replacing Scott Wedgewood.
Colorado also faced a late curveball as Sam Malinski and Arturri Lehkonen were scratched minutes before puck drop. Josh Manson returned to the lineup, and Jack Achan made his playoff debut. All the adjustments paid off, as the Avalanche delivered arguably their best performance of the series, securing a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild to take a 3-1 series lead.
Period 1:
The intensity started early. Ross Colton and Danila Yurov tangled after the whistle, both drawing roughing minors and leading to 4-on-4 play. Zach Bogosian took a hard hit into the boards and briefly headed down the tunnel but quickly returned. Later, Michael McCarron checked Josh Manson hard, and the two scuffled on the ice; Manson appeared to butt-end McCarron in the ear with his stick knob. After a lengthy review, the referees assessed a four-minute double minor for attempted butt-ending, per NHL rules.
The Avalanche nearly killed it off, but Yurov tipped Brock Faber’s shot past MacKenzie Blackwood to make it 1-0. Despite the power-play goal, Colorado held Minnesota to just four shots in the period—two at even strength and two on the man advantage.
Period 2:
Colorado carried their momentum into the second. They got a power play when Bogosian was called for interference, but failed to convert. Wallstedt remained the Wild’s best player, stopping everything including close-range attempts from Valeri Nichushkin.
Another power play came when Yakov Trenin closed his hand on the puck. This time, the Avalanche struck quickly: Martin Necas found Nazem Kadri, and Kadri buried the rebound to tie the game 1-1.
Late in the period, Parker Kelly was called for cross-checking, but Colorado killed the penalty. With less than two minutes left, Nathan MacKinnon caught a puck to the face from teammate Devon Toews, blood spilling everywhere. MacKinnon headed to the locker room.
Period 3:
MacKinnon returned to the bench, patched up and ready. Manson made a bad turnover behind the net, leading to a Wild flurry, but Jack Achan made massive blocks to deny Matt Boldy’s best chance.
Nic Roy corralled a loose puck and fed Ross Colton at the doorstep for a 2-1 Avalanche lead—Colton’s first goal since March 24, ending a long drought. But Quinn Hughes fended off Roy to set up Nico Sturm, tying the game 2-2 just two minutes later.
Two minutes after that, Parker Kelly scored his first career playoff goal. Jack Drury forechecked hard to keep the puck in, and Kelly fired a wrist shot over Wallstedt’s glove to retake the lead. Wallstedt was pulled at 1:40 of the third, and Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson added empty-netters to seal the 5-2 win, putting Colorado up 3-1 in the series.
