3 Things to Watch: Avalanche at Wild, Game 4 of Western 2nd Round

(1C) Colorado Avalanche at (3C) Minnesota Wild

Western Conference Second Round, Game 4

Colorado leads best-of-7 series 2-1

8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It's the Colorado Avalanche's turn to adjust and find another level.

The Avalanche will have to bounce back following a loss for the first time in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs when they play the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of the Western Conference Second Round at Grand Casino Arena on Monday.

The Wild got the better of the Avalanche in Game 3 on Saturday, racing out to a three-goal lead on their way to a 5-1 win, ending Colorado's six-game winning streak to start the playoffs, handing the Avalanche their first loss since April 11 and cutting their lead in the best-of-7 series to 2-1.

Colorado was 11-3-2 in games following a regulation loss during the season.

"I think after (Saturday) night, it's crank-up mode," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "It depends on the game, depends on your mistakes, depends on what you're doing. I think we have to be confident in what we do; there's no reason not to be, we lost one game. To me, it was pretty clear on why we lost and some of the things that we need to improve upon.

"They cranked it up and went to a different level for Game 3 in somewhat of a must win. And that's where the level is going to go to now for the rest of the series, and we've got to get there. So, to me, it's dial-it-up time."

In another role reversal, it's the Avalanche leading the goaltending debate.

Bednar did not tip his hand on who will start, but Mackenzie Blackwood was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, an indication he will make his first start of the playoffs after Scott Wedgewood started the first seven games.

Blackwood made 12 saves on 13 shots in relief of Wedgewood in Game 3, his first appearance since April 14. Wedgewood was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots.

"I really liked his practices and the time that he spent on the ice with (goalie coach) Jussi (Parkkila)," Bednar said of Blackwood. "We're getting good reports. Like I said at the start of the playoffs, we're probably going to need both guys. It's how we ran all year. We have confidence in both guys, and I think Mackenzie is ready to play. He wants the net."

Just days ago, the Wild were facing that same goaltending question, but there's no debate it's Jesper Wallstedt's net. He made 35 saves in Game 3 after being the backup to Filip Gustavsson in Game 2. Wallstedt allowed eight goals on 42 shots in Game 1.

"When he and I sat down and talked about what we were thinking and the decision we were going to make (in Game 2), his feedback and input to me was very mature," Minnesota coach John Hynes said. "Then the way he went about and handled it -- he took a little bit of rest and recovery, he worked, practiced, came back and had a good game. He continually shows improvement like that."

The Wild again won't have center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin in the lineup, each sidelined with a lower-body injury. Eriksson Ek will miss his fourth straight game and Brodin his fifth.

Defenseman Josh Manson and forward Joel Kiviranta are available and could return for Colorado. Manson has missed four games with an upper-body injury. Kiviranta (upper body) has been out the past five.

Teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-7 series have ended up winning it 90 percent of the time (247-28). The percentage goes up to 92 percent when the win comes on the road (151-14).

Here are three things to watch in Game 4:

1. The 'Thrill' is here

Nathan MacKinnon was arguably the best player on the ice in Games 1 and 2 with back-to-back three-point games in Colorado wins.

Kirill Kaprizov took the honors in Game 3, when he was on the ice for all five Minnesota goals, scoring one, assisting on two and winning puck battles all over the place.

Wild forward Marcus Foligno called it Kaprizov's best game of the season. If he can put another one like that together, if he's again the most dynamic player on the ice in a series filled with superstar power, it could go a long way toward evening the series.

"When he's moving his feet and skating, and when he's competitively engaged in puck battles and the hard areas of the ice, that's what makes him really unique, in my opinion," Hynes said. "He's got the skill, the one-timer, he can make plays, but his willingness and ability to get to the offensive net front, win wall battles, puck recovery, second and third effort on pucks, all those things, when he's doing that, that's what makes him really difficult to play against."

2. Avs' energy after opening face-off

It would be shocking if the Wild didn't come out with speed and pace to their game, playing on their toes with energy like they did in Game 3.

They've got the home crowd behind them. The building rocked Saturday and should again Monday. The buzz over the Wild is evident walking around the Twin Cities.

The Avalanche have to get their game going in the face of all that. They couldn't do it Saturday and they were a step behind pretty much all game. And there was no sugarcoating it either.

Bednar said after Game 3 that the video won't lie. It was all truth when the Avalanche watched it Sunday, proof of a team that, as defenseman Devon Toews said, "got outcompeted," examples of what can't happen again at the start of Game 4.

"Inside of a good team, great teams is resiliency, being able to kind of flush it, learn from the mistakes, know that we can be better, clean things up and have to be better, especially at this time of the year," Colorado center Brock Nelson said. "So, we're confident in the guys that we have in understanding that, a veteran group that has been around, been in this situation before where we need a response."

3. Manson's mission

Bednar wouldn't confirm Manson will play, saying only that he is available. But all indications are he will be in the lineup for the first time since April 23, which means Colorado will have another big body on defense. Manson (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) can take up space, plays a physical game and has some underrated skill.

In what has already been a physical series, Manson's potential return gives the Avalanche an edge in that department, especially if he plays his typical physical brand of hockey and is not limited in any capacity.

"You're looking at a big, strong, bottom six in Minny that protects the puck real well," Bednar said. "So, the size and physicality and the ability to close plays out and get you in and out of your zone a little quicker is for me probably the most beneficial thing he can bring to us."

Avalanche projected lines

Artturi Lehkonen -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog -- Brock Nelson -- Valeri Nichushkin

Ross Colton -- Nazem Kadri -- Nicolas Roy

Parker Kelly -- Jack Drury -- Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews -- Cale Makar

Brett Kulak -- Sam Malinski

Josh Manson -- Brent Burns

Mackenzie Blackwood

Scott Wedgewood

Scratched: Joel Kiviranta, Nick Blankenburg, Zakhar Bardakov, Isak Posch, Jack Ahcan

Injured: None

Wild projected lines

Marcus Johansson -- Danila Yurov -- Matt Boldy

Kirill Kaprizov -- Ryan Hartman -- Mats Zuccarello

Yakov Trenin -- Michael McCarron -- Vladimir Tarasenko

Marcus Foligno -- Nico Sturm -- Nick Foligno

Quinn Hughes -- Brock Faber

Daemon Hunt -- Jared Spurgeon

Jake Middleton -- Zach Bogosian

Jesper Wallstedt

Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: Robby Fabbri, Hunter Haight, Matt Kiersted, Bobby Brink, Calvin Petersen, Jeff Petry

Injured: Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body), Jonas Brodin (lower body)

Status report

Makar (maintenance) did not skate but is expected to play. ... The Wild are expected to use the same lineup from a 5-1 win in Game 3 on Saturday. … Hynes said that although Eriksson Ek is making significant progress, he will not play.