DENVER (AP) 鈥� Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime after Nathan MacKinnon tied it late in regulation and the advanced to the Western Conference final with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Kulak capped a wild comeback for the Avalanche, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period. Colorado moves on to the conference final for an eighth time since relocating to Denver in 1995-96.
The Avalanche will face the Vegas-Anaheim winner. Vegas leads that series 3-2.
With Minnesota up 3-1, Jack Drury scored with 3:33 remaining to set the stage for MacKinnon’s goal with 1:23 left with the Colorado goal empty. The star forward sent a shot from the left side past Jesper Wallstedt and into a small space in the top left corner.
In overtime, Martin Necas took the puck, glided behind the net and back out front, where he found an open Kulak. Without missing a stride, he lined it past Wallstedt.
Kulak joined the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal that sent Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh. Kulak was the 16th Avalanche player to score in the series.
He also was an unlikely OT hero. This was his first goal since Jan. 19 when he was with the Penguins, which also was his only goal of the regular season.
鈥淵ou always like to dream about it,鈥� said Kulak, who started the season with Edmonton before being dealt to Pittsburgh in December. 鈥淭he player I am, I’m not the guy (they’re) looking down the bench, hollering, 鈥楪et out there, go win it for us.鈥欌��
It was a rare series-ending win at home for Colorado, too. The last time the Avalanche won a series on home ice was 2008 against the Wild, when the team had Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
鈥淭hat was fun,鈥� MacKinnon said. 鈥淎 lot of fun.鈥�
Marcus Johansson scored 34 seconds into the game and Nick Foligno added two goals to give the Wild a 3-0 after the first period. It led Colorado to take out Mackenzie Blackwood after the first and insert Scott Wedgewood, who made seven saves.
The Avalanche overcame a three-goal deficit to win a playoff game for just the third time in 53 tries since moving to Denver. The Wild had been 21-0 when leading a playoff game by at least three goals before the elimination loss.
Wallstedt stopped 30 shots for the Wild. Matt Boldy and Nico Sturm each had two assists for a banged-up Wild team that was missing center all series.
鈥淲hen you go after something like this, there鈥檚 going to be two sides of the coin,鈥� Wild coach John Hynes said. 鈥淥ne is you鈥檙e going to win, which is a great feeling. And when you lose, it鈥檚 an empty feeling.鈥�
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