Colorado surged past Minnesota in Game 4, scoring five different goals to seal a 5‑2 win that pushes the Avalanche to a 3‑1 series advantage. Coach Jared Bednar shuffled lines and swapped goalies after a shaky Game 3 loss, bringing Mackenzie Blackwood into the net for a 12‑save effort. The change paid off as the Avs outshot the Wild 33‑14.

Late in the third, winger Parker Kelly delivered the go‑ahead goal from the point, his 21st of the season, turning a 2‑2 tie into a 3‑2 lead. The Wild had tied twice before, with Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson scoring empty‑netters in the final minute to close the gap. Avalanche possession remained dominant throughout.

With the series now at 3‑1, Colorado heads back to Denver for Game 5, eyeing a berth in the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2022. The Avs average 4.13 goals per game, topping the league, while the Wild sit second with 3.80. Bednar praised his team's determination, noting the adjustments forced Minnesota to play at a slower pace.

Blackwood’s 19‑save performance echoed his Game 3 effort, stopping 12 of 13 shots after Scott Wedgewood’s three‑goal outing. Bednar also omitted defenseman Sam Malinski and winger Artturi Lehkonen just before puck drop, forcing the Avalanche to reconfigure lines. The resulting chemistry kept the Wild’s offense in check, limiting them to a single power‑play goal.