Following their first home loss of the postseason, Minnesota has one last chance to keep their playoff run alive as the series heads back to Colorado for Game 5 on Wednesday, May 13th.
But history is not in their favor.
The Avalanche are 10-2 all-time in playoff series that they lead 3-1 when starting as the home team. Meanwhile, the Wild are 2-5 all-time when trailing 3-1 starting on the road.
After he was brought in for Scott Wedgewood in Game 3, Mackenzie Blackwood got the start this time around and posted 19 saves.
Recap & Highlights
It didn't take long at all for the physcality to take the spotlight. Both Danila Yurov (MIN) and Ross Colton (COL) were called for roughing penalties just 48 seconds into the first period.
But Yurov would make up for his mistake on the Wild's first power play, scoring his first career playoff goal to put Minnesota up 1-0. He became the 50th player to score his first career playoff goal this postseason.
Brock Faber (6) and Vladimir Tarasenko (3) picked up the assists, the former of which joined teammate Quinn Hughes as the only defensemen in Wild history to record at least 10 points in a postseason.
Their power play goal came off a Josh Manson double-minor after he was called for butt-ending Michael McCarron in the head.
During the first intermission, McCarron would say during his interview, "(Manson) is a dirty player. I'm happy he's still in the game."
Enter the second period, where things would start to get nerve-wracking. Through the first 32 minutes of play, the Avalanche outshot the Wild 21-5.
The Avs failed to convert on their first power play of the period, but wouldn't be denied the second time around.
Nazem Kadri scored his second goal of the playoffs, with an assist from Martin Necas (7), to tie everything up 1-1 six minutes into the second.
But Avs fans everywhere gasped after their superstar, Nathan MacKinnon, took a puck to the face with 1:07 left in the period.
Teammate Devon Toews tried to clear the puck into the corner and caught MacKinnon right under the visor. He would return later for the start of the third period after being cleared from concussion protocol.
What was originally thought to be a hit to the mouth ended up being his nose.
Minnesota would gain a little momentum at the end of the second, shortening the shots on goal differential to 21-12, but it was clear the second period was all Avs.
Despite the Wild's energizing start to the third that almost saw multiple goals, the Avs would soon take over.
Ross Colton scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Avs up 2-1 early on in the third, with assists from Nicolas Roy (2) and Toews (6).
His goal came at the game's 46:56 mark, making it the longest amount of time this series before either team scored on even strength.
But what looked to be an Avs-dominated game ended up turning into a scoring fight with the Wild.
Nico Sturm joined Colton in scoring his first playoff goal to tie things up for the Wild 2-2 just over two minutes later off a beautiful assist from Hughes (10).
Marcus Foligno picked up his second assist of the playoffs on the goal.
But just like that, the Avs would follow suit a little over two minutes later to retake the lead.
Parker Kelly, much like the two before him, scored his first playoff goal, also the first of his career, to make it a 3-2 game for the Avs.
Jack Drury recorded his second assist of the postseason.
With Kelly's goal the Avs now have 16 players to score at least once, tying the now-eliminated Philadelphia Flyers for the most by any team these playoffs.
Even though the Wild started to fight, even winning a majority of the face-offs down the stretch, it wouldn't be enough.
MacKinnon scored his sixth of the playoffs with the empty net dagger to make it 4-2, bloody nose and all, before Brock Nelson got the second empty-netter for the 5-2 final.
The Avs outshot (34-21) and outhit (30-28) the Wild, putting at least 10 shots on goal in each period, while holding Minnesota under that mark in each of the three frames.