3 Takeaways From the Wild’s 5-2 Loss to the Avalanche in Game 4 – The Hockey Writers – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild hosted the Colorado Avalanche for Game 4 of their second-round series on Monday evening, May 11. The Wild looked to even the series 2-2 after a huge win in Game 3 on Saturday night, May 9. The Wild had the same lineup as Game 3, which meant Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin were still out with injuries. 

Jesper Wallstedt was in the net while the Avalanche elected to go with Mackenzie Blackwood after pulling Scott Wedgewood partway through Game 3. The game started in the Wild’s favor with a goal in the first on the power play, but the Avalanche answered back in the second with their own power play goal. They went into the third tied 1-1. The Avalanche took the lead, but the Wild responded to tie it up 2-2 near the halfway point of the third. 

The Avalanche took control from that point on and scored to take the lead 3-2. They then went on to add two empty net goals to make it 5-2 and take the series lead 3-1. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways, starting with the Wild lacking effort. 

Wild Can’t Replicate Game 3

The Wild got the first goal of the game, and things looked to be heading in the right direction, only for it to start heading in the other direction as the game went on. The Wild lacked the same competitive edge and grittiness they had that got them the win in Game 3, and it cost them. They tried to fight back, but by the time they got themselves into the game, it was too late. 

In Game 3, they shut the Avalanche down, but in Game 4, the Avalanche did it right back to them. They cut off the Wild’s passes, they kept them away from their goaltender, and they forced mistakes on the Wild’s end. While Games 1 and 2 for the Wild weren’t great, Game 3 was, but then they lost it in Game 4. 

“We made bad decisions with the puck tonight, especially in the first half of the game. And, to be honest, we probably didn’t deserve to win when you take the whole game into perspective. I felt like we started playing with about seven, eight minutes left in the second period, that’s when we found our game. At both blues lines, really, that team is too good to where you can get away with some of those mistakes, turning pucks over at the far blue line, not getting pucks out at our blue line. And overall, when you take the whole game, the final score is probably where it was supposed to be, to be honest,” said Nico Sturm in his postgame interview with the media when asked about their shifts after goals. 

Wild Lacked Response

While the Wild got the first goal of the game, they couldn’t maintain a consistent effort to keep that lead. They did hold it for half the first and part of the second, but when the Avalanche tied it, it was clear the effort shifted even more, and there wasn’t the same response as they had in Game 3. 

Although the Wild were already up 3-0 when the Avalanche scored in Game 3, that moment could’ve been a turning point for the Avalanche to climb back into the game. Instead, the Wild responded 20 seconds later to show they weren’t going to allow the Avalanche back into that game. The Wild lacked that response in Game 4; they did get the lead, but they couldn’t hold it, and they couldn’t find a way to climb back into the game. 

“Yeah, I’m not sure, said it a couple days ago, shifts after goals are the biggest shifts in the games, and you want to try to ride that momentum. They played good. We didn’t, I think that’s really what it comes down to. They came out and had a push kind of like us in Game 3. When they scored their power play goal, we came out right again and scored. They didn’t have an answer, and I think tonight we didn’t have an answer for them. It just starts from the first period. We didn’t get pucks in; we turned pucks over at the blue. We fed their offense, then those guys start feeling it. That was the story of the night. I really don’t think we had our best at all,” said Michael McCarron to the media in his postgame interview when asked what changed after the Wild tied it 2-2. 

Wild Had Bright Spots to Focus On

The Wild opened the scoring with the power play, and it looked like they were going to get things going once again. While that wasn’t the case, the effort of rookie Danila Yurov can’t be overlooked, to be in front of the net to tip that shot. In fact, his team should’ve been trying to replicate his goal all night, but for some reason, they weren’t going to the net front despite seeing it work.

The power play goal and Yurov scoring it was a bright spot within a bright spot, but the other one was seeing Nico Sturm get himself on the scoresheet in a very critical moment. He had chances all night long, and it finally paid off after Quinn Hughes had a strong effort in the offensive zone to keep the puck and make the beautiful pass to the waiting Sturm, who didn’t waste any time putting it past Blackwood. 

At that moment, it looked like the game would turn in the Wild’s favor, but as they alluded to earlier, that was not the case, as the Wild weren’t aggressive enough. They allowed the Avalanche to force their way into the game, and they took the win. 

“Nothing. We lost today. If we win, probably it will be more happy for me. But now all things are about win next game. Come back in the series,” said Dania Yurov to the media in his postgame interview when asked about his goal. 

The Wild now have to win the next game to stay alive, or their postseason will end. They’ve been in this situation before, and it’s gone both ways in their franchise history. Hopefully, they can continue to rewrite the narrative and win Game 5 to force a Game 6 at home.