{"id":194,"date":"2026-05-14T16:36:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=194"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:36:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:36:19","slug":"deep-star-studded-avalanche-reach-the-conference-finals-for-8th-time-since-arriving-in-denver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=194","title":{"rendered":"Deep, star-studded Avalanche reach the conference finals for 8th time since arriving in Denver"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury, center, is congratulated by, from left, center Nicolas Roy, right wing Valeri Nichushkin, and defensemen Devon Toews and Brent Burns in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

DENVER \u2014 Jared Bednar may have put it best after the Colorado Avalanche erased a three-goal deficit to win their series on an overtime tally by a defenseman who hadn\u2019t scored since January and with<\/a> a different team, no less.<\/p>

Read more Championship playoff final could change, supporters warned after Southampton spying accusations<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat one was,\u201d the coach said, \u201csomething.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something, indeed.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche advanced<\/a> to the Western Conference final for the eighth time since relocating to Denver courtesy of a Brett Kulak goal in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5<\/a> . It\u2019s just the second time in the last nine playoff appearances the Avalanche have made it past the second round.<\/p>\n

On the other occasion, in 2022, the team went on capture the Stanley Cup championship.<\/p>\n

With a team led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, it\u2019s always a Cup-or-bust scenario. This team especially, given a regular season with captain Gabriel Landeskog<\/a> on the ice, their depth \u2014 the Avalanche had 16 different players score in the Wild series \u2014 and the play of their stars.<\/p>\n

Among the preseason favorites, they led the NHL most of the regular season in capturing their fourth Presidents\u2019 Trophy, which goes to the team with the best record.<\/p>\n

Like Carolina, the Avalanche are rolling into the conference finals. The Hurricanes advanced<\/a> with a pair of sweeps while the Avalanche required nine games, including a first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. As of Thursday, Colorado is a slight favorite over the Hurricanes to win the Cup.<\/p>\n

Next up for Colorado is either Vegas or Anaheim. Colorado was 2-0-1 against both the Golden Knights and the Ducks in the regular season.<\/p>\n

Bednar understands the lofty expectations year in and out, given his talented roster. Criticism comes with the territory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to win,\u201d Bednar said. \u201cBut I wouldn\u2019t want it any other way. I don\u2019t think our players would want it any other way.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are going to get on you because you didn\u2019t win the Cup. I\u2019d still rather be fighting for that, having earned that type of reputation because of the way you play through the regular season and the group that you put together as an organization and the high expectations, rather than, \u201cLet\u2019s just try and make the playoffs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Not much rattles the Avalanche these days. Not even a three-goal hole, which set up a frantic finish and the overtime winner from Kulak, who took a pinpoint pass from Martin Necas and lined it into the net to send the capacity crowd into a frenzy.<\/p>

Read more Mapping where the redistricting fight stands and where it\u2019s headed<\/a><\/p>\n

It was Kulak\u2019s first goal since Jan. 19 when he was with Pittsburgh before being traded to Colorado the following month. It was also the first time the Avalanche won a series on home ice since 2008, when they beat the Wild in Game 6 of the conference quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an environment like this, where the building felt like it was going to start shaking at any moment, it was exciting,\u201d said Landeskog, who played in his first regular season since 2022 after being sidelined with a knee injury. \u201cNow, it\u2019s kind of a sigh of relief.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Avalanche have a few days to heal. They were without forward Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Sam Malinski the last two games of the Wild series due to upper-body injuries. Makar momentarily left Wednesday\u2019s game after a collision, but returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe playoffs are a long grind and you want to keep your focus narrow,\u201d said Kulak, who made the Stanley Cup Final with Edmonton last season<\/a> . \u201cWe can get some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colorado has a 3-4 record in the conference finals since arriving in town before the 1995-96 season. All three times the team has advanced, though, a banner has followed \u2014 1996, 2001 and 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a really good team,\u201d Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes said.<\/p>\n

A strength of Colorado has been its depth. The 16 different players to score in the second round is tied for the most in a singles series, according to NHL Stats.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe depth is what\u2019s going to win, coming down the stretch here in the playoffs,\u201d Landeskog said. \u201cGuys are stepping up all over the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

In net, too, even if a goalie dilemma may now be a storyline.<\/p>\n

Scott Wedgewood took<\/a> over in the second period after Mackenzie Blackwood surrendered three first-period goals. Wedgewood stopped all seven shots he faced in the second and third periods (he saw none in OT).<\/p>\n

\u201cJust proud,\u201d Wedgewood said of making the conference final. \u201cProud of our group ending it and finding a way to do that because we knew going into the series, it wasn\u2019t going to be an easy out. There\u2019s a long road ahead, a lot of stories to write and just preparing for that.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Oilers fire Kris Knoblauch after 1st-round playoff exit that followed 2 Stanley Cup Final trips<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP NHL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/stanley-cup<\/a> and https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nhl<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Colorado Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final after a thrilling comeback win against the Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nDeep, star-studded Avalanche reach the conference finals for 8th time since arriving in Denver - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=194\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deep, star-studded Avalanche reach the conference finals for 8th time since arriving in Denver - 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