Avalanche vs. Wild | NHL Playoff Highlights | Game 4 | May 11, 2026

Now all of a sudden one win, a couple of injuries, crowd momentum can tilt the way a series is perceived. Fascinated to see how the Avalanche especially respond tonight. That's what he can do just shut down the rush and limit time and space defensively. Kadri crosses over and the wall of St. Paul easily handles that wrister. Logan O'Connor digs in behind the net. Kulak point to point. One-timer. Blocker save made by Volstead. That wrister well wide through the top of the crease from O'Connor. Loose behind the net. O'Connor reaches. Tries to protect the puck and it's freed up calmly by Spurgeon. The outlet's Sturm. He gets a return center circle. Across the line Felina. Long wrist shot. Gloved easily by Blackwood. Out of the reach of Zuccarello so it's turned back. Here's Natchez on Hughes. Natchez wrist shot. Blocker save Volstead. Loose puck to Tabes and a pass to no man's land. Makar has to protect the puck. Right back across the line McKinnon. McKinnon drives shot. That's kicked out by Volstead. But he's touch and go. I asked if anything was holding him up. He said nope. He's simply not ready. Kulak a drive off the draw. Karam's off the end wall and goes right through the blue paint behind Volstead. Jesper Volstead has to be sharp. This comes off the end wall off the set place faceoff from Colorado. Just misses. Kaprizov takes a big hit from Brent Burns but moves the puck. Two on two battle for it now in the corner. Kulak with a stick lift. Played back to a dancing Faber. Faber to Tarasenko in the corner. Back to Faber. One time drive. Score! Power play and goal for the wild. They have the lead. It looked like it was deflected on the way in by Urof. Minnesota's done a much better job of getting to the net and it's the only reason this puck goes in. Look at the top of the screen. Faber's wide open but Urof's in front. John Heinz said Urof is a mini Jewel Erickson Ek. He's been that good for the wild. He gets to the eyes of Blackwood which makes that hole play. And Faber with the bullet from the top and the wild have a one nothing lead. And Josh Manson and the avalanche pay the price for that foot end. That was caught by the officials. Lambda Scott drives it in. One hands it off the stick of Volstead. It's been all avalanche here through the first five plus minutes of the second period. And they're out shooting Minnesota 14-4. Knuckle puck finds its way through off the shoulder of Volstead. He stands strong. The reason the wilds will have a one nothing lead is the play of Volstead. It's a triple deflection on the way to the net. Nichushkin's there. Nelson's there. Banked ahead. Turned right back. Two on one across the line. Nichushkin with room. Shoot. Save made by Volstead. Kicks it out with the left hand. He makes two saves and then it's Nichushkin on the two on one. He has Nelson on the power play so far this series. Yeah it was good. Just feel like everyone knows what they're doing. We're confident trying to get shots there and outman them. So it's a good shot I brought. Thanks Quinn. Appreciate it. Yeah thank you. And now a good shot by Nazem Kadri on the power play. Volstead made a terrific initial save but Colorado has tied the game with the man advantage. Six minutes of the second period and it took the second one but Colorado cashes in. Well the wilds get the first power play goal in the first period and then the avs get it here in the second. It's right off the faceoff and Kadri's added this element for the avs in the middle of the ice. He's a left-handed shooter. He shoots once. He shoots twice. Chopped out of midair by Brent Burns. He looks up ice. Indirect off the wall. Colton with room. Ross Colton to the backhand. Stopped. Volstead shut the doors. Support from Landeska. McKinnon submarines. He's got it behind the net. Oh net save made by Volstead on Landeska. Moved across to Zuccarello. Down to the goal line. A quick one-touch return. Boldy. Zuccarello back to Boldy. Boldy trying to lift one over the shoulder of Blackwood that may have caught a piece of the crossbar. Look at all that room for Boldy and he has that angle. He just misses on the left side or that's going bar down. What a try by Boldy on the angle. Zone entry successful the last time. Hughes does it himself. Hughes drives. Safe made by Blackwood. Thrown out in front. The rebound. Blocked by Nichushkin. But watch Hughes. Watch his feet. He fakes the drop right here and then he keeps going which makes Manson gap up and lose his gap. He thinks that puck is being dropped. Hughes fakes him right out of his heels right there. Nelson gets faked. Manson gets faked. Hughes gets a great opportunity. Driving the middle is Hughes. There's the drop. Kaprizov forehand. Pad save is made by Blackwood. Back to the point. Hughes with a drive. Safe made by Blackwood. The rebound chipped to the corner. But it's the wild off the rush. It's a hook and ladder on the entry. Kaprizov gets a nice chance. Boldy to the top to Hughes and then they get to the net. But it's Kaprizov. He tries to go under the stick right there. Caves gets a piece of it. Blackwood kicks it out. Fought his way through contact and was able to dump the puck deep. Tarasenko with a steal behind the net. Wrap around try. It's loose. Hands of the blue paint. Natchushkin tries to clean it up. A shot by McCarron. Blocked in front. He tries again. Another sliding block by Eshaan. We'll take a look at what it is but the turnover behind the net. Manson fans on it. Tarasenko takes it there and then all hell breaks loose. It's a scramble in front and it's pure desperation. Eshaan with two huge blocks before they can clear the crease. Not one. Not two. And then on the backside. Kadri with the stick lift on Trenin. Or the wild could have gone up one. What a sequence of events. They're sensing some pressure from the home team here. McCarron grinds away in the corner. Moves behind the net. McCarron. Wrap around try. Stopped by McKenzie. Blackwood rimmed around hoping for Marcus. Sturm picks it up to Nick Foligno. Behind the net Marcus Foligno. Centering pass. Save made by Blackwood and another on Sturm. Terrific setup. It's behind the net where this starts and when a goalie has it behind the net comes out front quick like this. So tough to react. But Blackwood's big, long and athletic. He gets the Nelson but he didn't get much on the shot. Steered clear by Ballstead. That long wrister by Kael McCarron deflects to the high glass. Nelson tracks it down. Nelson eyes the net. Shoots off the post. Ballstead never saw it Bob. Never saw it through the screen on the shot by Nelson. Again Brock Nelson. He must feel somewhat snake bit. Tipped by Waugh. Tries again. Backdoor. Score! Oh what a pass by Nick Waugh to set up Colton for the go-ahead goal. This is later on in the sequence but it's the forecheck by Nelson. He kicks it all the way to the top. You just get it there. Hunt pumps it out to Waugh. He finds Colton on the back side. Shows shot. Ballstead has to respect it. Marcus Foligno across. Sturm drives the net. Sturm. Wrap around try. Right through the crease. Hughes keeps it on side. Backhanded down low. Score! What a setup by Quinn Hughes for time. What a response by the Minnesota Wild. They've come the entire length of the ice but watch Hughes on the left side of your screen. Most defensemen put this down the wall and that's what Waugh thinks is happening. Nope. Hughes reads it. Cuts to the top and it's a perfect backhand. Watch 43. Most guys put this back down the wall. He takes the open ice to the top. Sturm gets open on the back side. A perfect pass from Quinn Hughes and the one-timer by Sturm to tie this game at two. And Brent Burns ready for that alley-oop. Beat Johansen to the puck. Tries to spring O'Connor. O'Connor moves in. He controls. Shoot. Save made by Ballstead. I was hoping to spend maximum quality time with you. I don't believe you. My dream is coming true. Uh-huh. Bogosian the intercept by Drury. Well recovered by Middleton. Drury gloves it down. Kelly. Score! Kelly with the quick release off the feed from Drury. Colorado back on top. In this series until now it's the turnover by Bogosian because Kelly pressures him on the forecheck and watch the pass from Drury and it's the quick release by Kelly. Ballstead picks this puck up late but 17 and White's parked right in the middle. Doesn't get all of it but Ballstead doesn't see it. Kelly gets his first of the playoffs. The abs are up. Kaprizov meets him. It goes point to point. Room for Faber. Shoots wide. Boldy at the half wall. Hoping for Hughes. Pick free by Natchez. Center circle sets up McKinnon. Scores into the McKinnon puts this one away it seems for Colorado with a half minute to go. And then the abs pick up the loose change. Hughes pinches Natchez with the great poise. He knows where McKinnon is and McKinnon gets his sixth goal of the playoffs to put the abs up too. At center ice and have enough time to get another chance on Blackwood. The puck loose. Landeskog tries to dig it free. Ends up behind the net. Boldy throws one out in front hoping for a bank shot. Instead it's sent towards the empty net by Nelson and he scores. So this series will head back to Denver with a chance for the avalanche to move on to the conference final. To Denver with a three to one series lead as Nelson gets the second empty netter of the game for the abs and it's a steep mountain to climb. You have to try and win three in a row against the abs. And now Kiviranta going at it with Marcus Foligno.