Wild One Loss Away From Elimination After Game Four Defeat

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – The Wild have their backs against the wall after dropping a 5-2 decision to the Colorado Avalanche in game four of their second-round playoff series Monday night at Grand Casino Arena.

Colorado now leads the best-of-seven series three games to one and can punch its ticket to the Western Conference Final with a win at home on Wednesday.

Danila Yurov got the Wild on the board first, deflecting a Brock Faber point shot past Mackenzie Blackwood at the nine-minute mark of the first period for his first career playoff goal. The tally came during a four-minute Minnesota power play.

Colorado answered in the second when Nazem Kadri buried his own rebound just seven seconds into a power play to tie things up at one. Ross Colton put the Avs in front early in the third, finishing off a feed from Nicolas Roy with a wrist shot to Jesper Wallstedt’s stick side.

Nico Sturm pulled the Wild even again at 9:15 of the third, snapping a Quinn Hughes backhand pass past Blackwood from a tough angle. The tie didn’t last long. Parker Kelly scored his first career playoff goal just over two minutes later off a Jake Middleton turnover in the defensive zone, giving Colorado the lead for good.

Wallstedt stopped 29 of 32 shots in the loss. Blackwood, making his first start of the postseason, turned aside 19.

The teams will face off in game five on Wednesday in Denver. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.