Avalanche to play Golden Knights or Ducks in Western Conference Final

The Colorado Avalanche will play the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Final.

The Avalanche advanced to the West Final for the first time since 2022 with a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday.

"I’ve been trying to keep tabs, obviously a little later with the West Coast games," goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. "I’ve been putting it on, watching highlights, keeping tabs on two great teams again. Whoever you get you know it’s going to be a battle but excited to be there and have a chance to play and move along."

The Avalanche, the No. 1 seed in the Central Division and Western Conference, will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series against the Golden Knights, the No. 1 seed in the Pacific Division, or the Ducks, the No. 3 seed in the Pacific. Vegas leads that series 3-2 with Game 6 in Anaheim on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360, SN, TVAS).

"I think now [I'll] pay closer attention to that one," defenseman Brett Kulak said. "The playoffs is a long grind and you want to keep your focus narrow. So I think for us, it's just been Minnesota the last number of days, but now we can get some rest and turn our attention. Just keep an eye on both those teams and see how that series goes."

Center Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the playoffs, and forward Martin Necas has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists). Captain Gabriel Landeskog (three goals, five assists) and defenseman Devon Toews (two goals, six assists) each has eight points, and defenseman Cale Makar has four goals.

Wedgewood is 7-1 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in eight games. Mackenzie Blackwood is 1-0 with a 3.20 GAA and .872 save percentage in three games (two starts).

The Avalanche went 2-0-1 against the Golden Knights in the regular season. Necas had six points (three goals, three assists), and MacKinnon had four points (one goal, three assists).

Wedgewood was 2-0-0 with a 3.38 GAA and .854 save percentage. Blackwood allowed three goals on 29 shots in his only start, a 3-2 overtime loss on April 11.

Forwards Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner each had four points (one goal, three assists) against the Avalanche in the regular season, and 10 players had one goal each.

Carter Hart was 1-0-1 with a 3.32 GAA and .901 save percentage in two regular-season games against the Avalanche. Backup goalies Adin Hill and Akira Schmid have not played in the playoffs and did not face the Avalanche in the regular season. Carl Lindbom, who is now with Henderson of the American Hockey League, lost his only start, allowing three goals on 25 shots in a 4-2 loss on Oct. 31.

The Avalanche and Golden Knights have played once in the playoffs with Vegas winning in six games in the second round in 2021.

Colorado went 2-0-1 against Anaheim this season. Makar (one goal, three assists), MacKinnon (four assists) and center Brock Nelson (four assists) each had four points. Forward Parker Kelly had three goals and Landeskog, Necas and forward Artturi Lehkonen each had two goals.

Wedgewood made all three starts, going 2-0-1 and allowing three goals on 80 shots (0.97 GAA, .963 save percentage).

Anaheim scored three regulation goals in the three games against Colorado, from forwards Cutter Gauthier, Jeffrey Viel and Leo Carlsson.

Lukas Dostal was 1-2-0 with a 2.94 GAA and .912 save percentage against the Avalanche.

The Avalanche and Ducks have played once in the playoffs, with Anaheim sweeping Colorado in the 2006 Western Conference Semifinals.