Tuesday, May 12, 2026

The Colorado Avalanche are one win away from the Western Conference Final after a ruthless third-period takeover in Saint Paul on Monday night. After surviving a four-minute double minor to Josh Manson, the Avalanche broke the game open to secure a 5-2 victory. Parker Kelly and Nazem Kadri led the offensive charge, pushing the Minnesota Wild to the brink of elimination with Colorado now holding a commanding 3-1 series lead. Over in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes are already resting up after completing a dominant sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. Carolina punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final and gets to sit back and watch the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens battle it out. Montreal currently holds a narrow 2-1 edge in that second-round matchup. The other half of the Western bracket remains completely up for grabs. The Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks are locked in a bitter 2-2 stalemate that has all the makings of a seven-game classic. With one team already through to the third round and the rest fighting for survival, the playoff intensity is only ramping up. Keep an eye on Jesper Wallstedt, who did everything he could to keep Minnesota alive despite the late onslaught. If the Wild are going to pull off a miracle comeback starting in Game 5, they will need their goaltender to steal the show against a Colorado squad that has only lost one game this entire postseason.