Avalanche overcome three-goal deficit to eliminate the Wild in five games

The Colorado Avalanche celebrate advancing to the Western Conference final.
The Colorado Avalanche celebrate advancing to the Western Conference final.MATTHEW STOCKMAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The Colorado Avalanche came from three goals down to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime in Game 5 of their Western Conference semi-finals series. With the win, the Avs progress to the conference final with a 4-1 series victory.

Looking to close out the series at home, the Avs had scored an average of five goals per match thus far. However, they were the ones left chasing from the off, as the Wild came out and scored thrice to take a 3-0 lead.

It only took 34 seconds for the Wild to go in front, as Marcus Johansson took a shot from a few feet away, burying his chance to put his team ahead early.

Midway through the opening frame, the lead was doubled. Nico Sturm played a centering pass to Nick Foligno, who directed the puck into the goal past MacKenzie Blackwood, silencing the home crowd.

Things got worse for Colorado towards the end of the period, when Foligno got on the board once again. Sturm played provider for the second time, with his initial shot stopped. Fortunately for him, Foligno was there to convert, making it 3-0.

Unhappy with Blackwood giving up three goals in the opening 20 minutes, the Avs made a goaltending change during the first intermission.

It took the hosts a bit of time to finally get on the scoreboard, with Parker Kelly getting one back after he got a stick on Brent Burns' effort.

Still behind after two periods of play, the Avs piled on the pressure during the final stanza. They outshot the Wild 9-4 in the final 20 minutes of regulation.

Jack Drury reduced the deficit to one with three and a half minutes to play. It was a very similar type of goal, as Devon Toews' shot from took a deflection off Drury's stick to find a way in.

Then, two minutes later, the home team tied the game. Having added a sixth skater onto the ice, Nathan MacKinnon went for goal on a tight angle. Despite the difficulty of the shot, he hit it top shelf past a helpless Jesper Wallstedt to tie things up.

The game went into overtime, with Colorado fully with the momentum oon their side. They did not have to wait long, as less than four minutes in, they finished the series.

After defending a Minnesota attack, the Avalanche went the other way with Martin Necas, who went around the goal to wait for some help. He found Brett Kulak on the opposite wing, with the defenseman shot into the largely open net.

That goal completed the comeback for the Avs, who now advance to the Western Conference final with a 4-1 series win. 

Next for the President's Trophy winners will be either the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks, with the former leading 3-2 in their series heading into Game 6.

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