Wild ‘tried to hang on’ but couldn't hold off Avalanche

DENVER -- The losing locker room when a series ends is always a solemn place to be. It was Wednesday night at Ball Arena, where the Minnesota Wild milled around in near silence, players quietly answering questions from the media with long stares into the distance.

The difference here is that while they were understandably stunned that their season ended the way it did at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, a three-goal first-period lead in Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round turning into a 4-3 season-ending overtime loss, the Wild players also understood why they got stunned.

"Just tried to hang on," forward Marcus Foligno said. "I mean, that's pretty much it."

They could not, not for 40 minutes against the best team in the NHL all season, a team with speed, depth and a relentless attack mentality.

The Colorado Avalanche pushed through the second period, getting one goal back. They came all the way back late in the third. They won it in overtime to advance to the Western Conference Final, where they will face either the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks.

"They deserve to win this series, plain and simple, and that's where it just gets frustrating, right, because when we are at our absolute best I think we can beat this team," Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. "They were more consistent. I feel like they outplayed us most of the series. That's just how it is. That's just plain and simple. You can't really hide or dance around the fact that they outplayed us, but like I said, that's where the frustration comes in. I feel like when we are at our best we can beat that team and we just didn't. They deserved to win."

Minnesota scored on three of its 13 shots against Mackenzie Blackwood in the first period, the goals coming from Marcus Johansson 34 seconds into the game and two from Nick Foligno separated by 4:53; the first at 11:03 and the second at 15:56.

"We played great," said forward Matt Boldy, who had two assists.

But that was it. It ended there for the Wild.

Scott Wedgewood replaced Blackwood to start the second period and he had to make seven saves. That's all. Seven. In 43 minutes and 52 seconds. He did not face a shot in overtime, though the Wild had two Grade A scoring chances on which the passes never connected.

"I mean, yeah, we didn't change anything; we just started to lose battles and that's how the tides turn," Faber said. "They turned them. They turn that quick."

The Avalanche had 22 shots on goal from the second period on, with Parker Kelly making it 3-1 on a deflection 11 minutes into the second period, Jack Drury scoring on a deflection to make it 3-2 at 16:27 of the third, Nathan MacKinnon tying it at 18:37 and Brett Kulak delivering the final blow 3:52 into overtime.

"I think it’s a combination of, you're thinking too much, 'Don’t give them anything,' and you start to maybe not make the plays you need to make against a good team like this," Wild forward Mats Zuccarello said. "The human brain works sometimes like that. You're too worried about not letting goals in that you forget about playing the game at times. I think that's what you feel. I think we came out flying, and did a (heck) of a job in the way we wanted to play. But, at the end of the day, you've got to give them credit as well. They're a good team over there with (heck) of a good players. I think it's just that offensive mind, keep going, get 4-0, get 5-0, instead of being on the cautious side."

The most frustrating part for the Wild is as bad as they felt they played in the second period, when the Avalanche had 34 shot attempts to their eight, they still had a 3-1 lead and felt good about how they were handling the third until Drury's goal.

"I thought we did a really good job of trying to close that out," defenseman Quinn Hughes said. "Pucks in, pucks out, defending. They didn't get a ton of looks."

Even MacKinnon's goal wasn't necessarily a great look for the Hart Trophy finalist, but he did something great players do. He turned what looked like nothing into everything.

MacKinnon, from low in the left face-off circle, picked the near corner with only a few inches of space over Jesper Wallstedt's right shoulder to score the game-tying goal with Wedgewood out for the extra skater.

Ironically, it was close to the same location of the shot he missed in the third period of the gold-medal game at the Winter Olympics that could have won it for Team Canada.

"I just saw a little daylight and just threw it there," MacKinnon said. "It doesn't always go where you want it to. Happy it did then."

Wallstedt said giving that one up "hurts a lot."

"I haven't looked at, but it felt like I was in good position, it felt like I had the right read," he said. "Maybe I was a little passive or went down a little quick, but also he picked his corner. I think in the long run that's a save I make most of the time, but not today. Today he scored."

Michael McCarron had a chance in overtime, but Boldy's pass wasn't in the best spot, twisting him up, and he whiffed on the shot.

Kirill Kaprizov had a 2-on-1 with Boldy, but he passed it and the puck never went to the net. That started the play that led to Kulak's winner.

"Maybe I can shoot it," Kaprizov said.

If he put it on net it would have been his only shot on goal of the game. It would have only been Minnesota's eighth after the first period.

Maybe that would have ended it in the Wild's favor. Maybe if Boldy's pass to McCarron was in a better spot that would have ended it.

Instead, the Wild were left stunned, quietly packing up to head home, the next game not until next season, fully realizing why it happened and frustrated that they couldn't do anything about it.

"Thought we had enough energy to hold on and hang on for a Game 6," Foligno said, "but that's how it goes sometimes."