Brett Kulak completes crazy comeback, sends Avalanche to the Western Conference Final

The Colorado Avalanche were left for dead on their own ice in Game 5, and then they won — with the most unlikely hero, Brett Kulak

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

May 13, 2026, 9:21 PM

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The Colorado Avalanche were left for dead on their own ice in Game 5.

Marcus Johansson needed just 34 seconds to open the scoring, and Nick Foligno potted two more before the first period was over — a 3-0 Wild lead inside Ball Arena with the series on the line.

It was the first time in franchise history the Avalanche trailed a home playoff game by three or more goals at the end of the first period. History said this was over, but it wasn’t.

Head coach Jared Bednar yanked starter Mackenzie Blackwood after allowing three goals on 13 shots across 18 minutes, turning to Scott Wedgewood — and Wedgewood slammed the door. He stopped all seven shots he faced across 43:14 of relief, giving the Avalanche’s offense time to find its heartbeat.

“We talked about staying positive in the intermission and just kind of resetting and just getting back to our game,” Kulak told TNT. “Trying to create momentum one shift at a time. And we chipped away at it.”

Parker Kelly started the climb at 11:00 of the second, assisted by Brent Burns and Brett Kulak. Then the third period became a masterpiece of desperation. Jack Drury cut it to 3-2 at 16:27, with helpers from Devon Toews and Nicolas Roy. And with just 1:23 left in regulation, Wedgewood on the bench for an extra attacker, Nathan MacKinnon — assisted by Martin Necas and Burns — roofed it over Wallstedt to tie the game at three.

The Avalanche’s relentless pressure finally broke through in the third and it kept going into overtime.

At 3:52 of overtime, Brett Kulak took a cross-ice feed from Necas, who skated circles around the net and ended it. His first goal in 44 games — his last came January 19 as a Penguin, assisted by Sidney Crosby.

“We kind of felt the momentum coming in the third, we carried it into OT,” Kulak said. “Spent a lot more time in their zone and wore them down. And things just opened up for us.”

BRETT KULAK ENDS THE SERIES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/RpBoVSqzbl

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2026

“Pretty fortunate to end up here the way my year went,” he said, of being part of two trades this year. “For these guys to bring me in and give me the role they gave me — it’s pretty awesome. We’re building something. We’re enjoying the run here.”

Three goals down at home — something this franchise had never faced in the playoffs — four unanswered, and the guy who hadn’t scored since January is the one skating into a dog pile at center ice. The Avalanche are headed to the Western Conference Final to face the winner of the Knights–Ducks series.