Game 4 win just punched the Avalanche’s ticket to a Western Conference Final

Parker Kelly’s go‑ahead goal eased Zach Bye’s nerves and made the Western Conference Final feel guaranteed after a massive Game four win

BY ALEX BOTELLO

May 13, 2026, 7:30 AM Updated: 7:32 am

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After Game 3 against Minnesota, the Avalanche were finally forced to face some adversity. An embarrassing 5-1 loss had some asking questions about where the momentum would shift if the Wild tied the series. A mix of nerves and anticipation caused one of the hosts of “The Drive with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay” to have a serious level of concern going into Game 4.

That concern evaporated quickly when Ross Colton gave the Avs’ their first lead of the night off a gorgeous feed from Nicolas Roy. On Tuesday’s edition of “The Drive,” Zach Bye called that the moment “the pressure was lifted” from the game.

ROSS COLTON puts the Avs ahead 2-1 🔥 #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/6gmyH4MVRz

— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) May 12, 2026

And not just from Game 4. Bye believes “the pressure was lifted from this series,” adding confidently that “the Avs are not losing this series. They are unequivocally better.”

Both teams entered the final period on Monday night tied 1–1. With the game hanging in the balance, the Avalanche showed a level of championship pedigree the Wild simply couldn’t match. The 5–2 final score doesn’t reflect how competitive the game truly was, but it does show how laser‑focused Colorado played when it mattered most.

Game 3 was the Avs worst performance of the postseason — no intensity, no urgency and the Wild dictated the tone on both ends. Minnesota out‑hit the Avs 39–25 and blocked 15 shots. But in Game 4, Colorado looked locked in again, and as James Merilatt put it, “no one can beat the Avalanche when they’re playing at their best.”

The numbers back it up. The Avs delivered 32 hits, blocked 12 shots and generated 11 high‑danger chances in Game 4, more than double what they produced in Game 3.

“That’s the real version of Colorado,” Bye added. “That’s the version that’s going to close out this series, and it may happen as early as tomorrow night.”

With their focus reset after their first loss of the playoffs, the only thing left is to finish the job on home ice. The Avalanche hasn’t closed out a series at home in 18 years — the last time coming against these same Minnesota Wild. Despite the nerves heading into Game 4, Wednesday night almost feels like a formality as the best team in hockey looks to return to the Western Conference Final for the first time since their 2022 Stanley Cup run.