Avalanche defensemen step up with Makar ailing in Game 5 win

DENVER -- Brett Kulak and Brent Burns were getting extra kudos from Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar following their 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round on Wednesday.

And rightfully so.

"I mean, you can't understate that," Bednar said of Kulak, who had the series-winning goal and Burns, who was on the ice for all four of the Avalanche's goals in Game 5. "We were four guys rolling on the bench. I think Burnsy's series was incredible. Obviously, Kulak's was the same."

Those two were key as part of the four defensemen who were still at their top levels, or seemed to be, when the series wrapped on Wednesday. Kulak logged 26:54 in Game 5, the most minutes he's had in a game with the Avalanche since they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 24. Brent Burns played 19:47 for the second consecutive game and assisted on Parker Kelly's goal in the second period and Nathan MacKinnon's tying goal in the third. Devon Toews (29:45) and Josh Manson (19:19) each played their highest minutes of the Stanley Cup Playoffs thus far.

And the Avalanche will need that dependability on defense to keep serving them as they try to win the Stanley Cup for the second time since 2022. The Avalanche will play either the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks. Vegas is up 3-2 in their best-of-7 series, with Game 6 at Honda Center in Anaheim on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360, SN, TVAS). 

Wednesday's performance was especially necessary, considering the situation. Cale Makar played big minutes (25:50) but was clearly hurting. Makar didn't have a shot on goal in Game 5 and favored his right arm/shoulder after taking a big hit from Wild forward Mats Zuccarello late in the third period. Sam Malinski was out with an upper-body injury. Jack Ahcan (3:35) was kept to minimal minutes, his last shift coming in the second period.

Enter Toews, Manson, Kulak and Burns. Especially the latter two, who were a big part of the Avalanche's comeback on both sides of the puck.

"I think at that point, it just becomes a group effort throughout everybody that's going," Kulak said. "I mean, Cale is battling out there. He's playing really well, and it (stinks) having Sammy (Malinski) out. He's a big piece of the team, too. So when guys are coming and going, and you're missing a couple bodies here and there, other guys just step up and fill the void. And I think it's not just one guy who steps in and takes over the minutes. I think everyone has to chip in, and the whole team has to just play solid hockey."

Kulak helped break up the cross-ice pass attempt from Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov to forward Matt Boldy in overtime before skating to the other end and scoring off Martin Necas' pass to him in the right circle.

"He's just a steady guy," Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. "I don't think he'd tell you he's a flashy player or anything, but you know what you're getting from him every shift. He's a big body (6-foot-1, 192 pounds), he's clean, he's a quick puck mover, finds the net there.

"It's a huge moment and obviously coming in, you want to make an impact as an acquisition and nothing better for him to do that there for us tonight. But just a steady presence. Every time you put him out there, you've got exactly the same thing over and over again. It's hard to be consistent in that role, and he's a prime example of just a steady 'D' that you wish was on your team all year."

Burns, who's in his 22nd NHL season, has had a knack for getting the puck in areas where his Avalanche teammates can capitalize, and that was on display in Game 5. He got the primary assist on Kelly's goal and the secondary assist on MacKinnon's goal.

"As a team, we were having trouble getting pucks through to the net, getting them anywhere near the net," Bednar said. "Credit to Minnesota for that. If you could pick a strength of Burnsy's it's getting playable pucks around the net. There's no hesitation if it comes up to him at the top."

"It's not that he doesn't make plays, but 95 percent of the time, he's going to shoot and he's going to get it around there. He has a knack for getting it past the first layer, past the second layer, if you're fighting to the net anywhere, top of the crease to the hashmarks, you're going to have a chance to deflect something, coming up with a rebound, something hitting you and going in. It's why he was out there (trailing in the third period with Wedgewood pulled for an extra skater) and it's just trying to use a guy to his strengths in a situation where it's a little bit chaotic at that point. Guys change, you're 6-on-5 out there trying to get set and it's your last hope. You might as well go with your best option. For me, that was Burnsy tonight."

The Avalanche are moving on. How healthy they are at defense when the conference final begins remains to be seen.

Malinski is listed as day to day. Makar is ailing, but the days in between could give him a chance to heal.

For now, Colorado will continue to rely upon the defensemen that got it to this point.