Avalanche embracing ‘our most difficult challenge’ trailing 3-0 entering Game 4

LAS VEGAS -- The Colorado Avalanche are aware of the math and the monumental task they are facing, trailing the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in the Western Conference Final.

No team has ever come back to win from three games down in the series prior to the Stanley Cup Final (0-49) and only four teams (4-213) have been able to overcome the deficit at any point in the playoffs.

And yet, the Avalanche will look to do just that, beginning with Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

“We know we’re where at, we know it (comeback) doesn’t happen very often, but we still feel confident in this group,” Avalanche forward Martin Necas said Monday. “It’s not like we’ve been outplayed every game and their team is better than ours. We had a lot of stretches this season where we won four in a row, so we just focus on the next game and take it home, and anything can happen.”

Colorado did not lose three consecutive games in regulation during the regular season, so it was surprising to see the team lose the first three games of this series to Vegas, which finished 26 points behind them in the NHL standings.

It was also surprising to see the Avalanche blow a 3-0 lead in Game 3 on Sunday, giving up three goals in the second and two more in the third in a 5-3 loss.

“I think our team’s played with more intensity and more desperation as the series has gone on and it hasn’t worked out for us yet,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “The hill to climb, it’s definitely a tough one. It just doesn’t happen very often and we’re certainly understanding of that. But I think we have a lot of pride and a lot of character in our room, and we displayed that time over time throughout the course of the year. 

“This will be our most difficult challenge, but I believe we will show up and we will be ready to play, ready to compete for a win tomorrow night.”

Making the task more daunting for Colorado is that defenseman Cale Makar seems to be playing through an upper-body injury and forward Nathan MacKinnon sustained a leg injury after blocking a shot on Sunday and is uncertain for Game 4.

Makar missed the first two games of the series before returning for Game 3.

Vegas won 4-2 in Game 1, holding off Colorado after building a 3-0 lead and closing the game out with an empty-net goal. In Game 2, Vegas scored two goals in a span of 2:07 in the third period to overcome a 1-0 deficit in what turned out to be a 3-1 final.

“It’s very evenly matched and the games have shown that. They’ve come out on top of three of them,” Bednar said. “Certainly, would love it only to be two, especially after last night, building a three-goal lead. But we are where we are now, and we know how fine the margins are, and we have to keep trying to exploit them and trying to make one more play than we have in the previous games, both on the offensive side and on the defensive side, to win a hockey game. When you look at it from that perspective, I think it becomes a lot more realistic.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs became the first team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 Final. The New York Islanders then did it against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, followed by the Philadelphia Flyers against the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Los Angeles Kings were the last team to do it, defeating the San Jose Sharks in the 2014 Western Conference First Round en route to winning the Stanley Cup.

Six other teams have come back to force a Game 7 and lose, with the Edmonton Oilers being the latest. The Oilers battled back from a 3-0 deficit against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final before losing in Game 7.

“It’s a big challenge but I think it’s one that you’ve got to be excited for,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson said Monday. “You win one game and you think you can get the ball rolling a bit. I think it writes a fun story if you look at it that way.

“If you look at it like, ‘Oh, this is too tough of a mountain to climb,’ or whatever it may be, you already have that negative talk. I think you have to look at it in a positive light of what this could be and how we are going to accomplish the goal.”

If Colorado can extend the series, Game 5 would be at home on Thursday and Game 6 in Vegas on Saturday. If necessary, Game 7 would be in Colorado on June 1.

“You have to look both sides, learn from the first couple games, but then know that there’s a lot of people out there that would be giving up a lot to be in this position, to have a chance,” Avalanche forward Brock Nelson said. “It starts with one game, that’s what it comes down to, and not taking anything for granted and know that everything matters and the margin for error is razor thin. If you find yourself in a spot, just do whatever it takes.”