Avalanche bounce back to beat Wild 5-2, grab 3-1 series lead

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Ross Colton and Parker Kelly each scored in the third period for Colorado, an opportune time for their first goals of the post-season as the high-scoring Avalanche snapped back from a mid-series lull and beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 in Game 4 on Monday to grab a 3-1 lead in the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 19 saves in his first start this post-season after relieving Scott Wedgewood during a 5-1 loss in Game 3 on Saturday, and the Avalanche moved within one win of taking the first spot in the Western Conference final. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be in Denver on Wednesday.

Nazem Kadri scored on a power play in the second period, and Nathan MacKinnon — who had a brief absence to fix a bloody nose from a puck to the face — and Brock Nelson added empty-net goals in the final minute.

Nico Sturm of Minnesota tied the game 2-2 with his first goal of the post-season about two minutes after Colton put the Avalanche up by one. The Wild were outshot 20-5 over roughly the first half of the game by an energized Colorado offence.

After leading the NHL in goals during the regular season while posting the league’s best record, the Avalanche scored 14 times over the first two games before Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt stonewalled them in Game 3.

Colton and Kelly became the 15th and 16th players to score for the Avalanche in just eight post-season games this spring.

Rookie Danila Yurov scored his first career post-season goal on a deflection midway through the first period for the Wild during a four-minute power play prompted by a double minor penalty on defenceman Josh Manson.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Dave Campbell, The Associated Press