Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild 14 May 2026 Prediction

Colorado completed its minimum objective by taking one road win against Minnesota. The Denver team now returns home with a 3-1 series lead. Can the Presidents’ Trophy winner close out the series in Game 5 and reach the Western Conference Final, or will the Wild find a way to win on the road?

Colorado’s Goalie Change Worked

Jared Bednar’s team played well in the first two home games, but then lost the opening road matchup 5-1. During that game, the coaching staff decided to replace Scott Wedgewood, who stopped only 9 of 12 shots for a .750 save percentage.

In the second road game, 29-year-old Mackenzie Blackwood made his first start of the current playoff run and helped Colorado win, stopping 90.5% of the shots he faced. The Avalanche were also active in the offensive zone and generated chances worth around four expected goals.

Colorado Predicted Lineup: Blackwood (Wedgewood) – Toews, Makar – Landeskog, MacKinnon, Necas

Full Roster: defensemen — Kulak, Burns, Achan, Manson; forwards — Colton, Nelson, Roy, Nichushkin, Kadri, O’Connor, Kelly, Drury, Kiviranta

Out: Lehkonen, Malinski (both injured)

Manager: Jared Bednar

Minnesota Lacks Depth

John Hynes’ team failed to tie the series in its second home game, even though it opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Danila Yurov scored his first NHL playoff goal and now has three points in eight games. The Russian forward scored on the power play, although Minnesota has converted less than 20% of its chances with the man advantage in this Stanley Cup run.

The Wild’s key players may be feeling the workload, as they are playing heavy minutes. Among players still active in the second round, Minnesota defensemen Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber lead in average ice time at 30:59 and 29:30, respectively. Among forwards, Kirill Kaprizov leads at 24:05 per game.

Minnesota Predicted Lineup: Wallstedt (Gustavsson) – Hughes, Faber – Kaprizov, Hartman, Zuccarello

Full Roster: defensemen — Middleton, Spurgeon, Hunt, Bogosian; forwards — Johansson, Yurov, Boldy, Trenin, McCarron, Tarasenko, M. Foligno, Sturm, N. Foligno

Out: Eriksson Ek, Brodin (both questionable)

Manager: John Hynes

Minnesota Is Struggling to Keep Up

Colorado has won three of the first four games in the second round, and in three of those matchups, the Avalanche created chances worth at least four expected goals. The Denver team has had a clear speed advantage. In the previous game, Minnesota lost 5-2 and managed only 21 shots on Blackwood’s net.

Key Things to Know

• Minnesota has taken at least one minor penalty in 9 of its last 10 games.
• Colorado is averaging 2.1 goals in the third period, the best mark in the playoffs.
• The Avalanche have recorded at least 30 shots on goal in 6 of their last 8 games.

Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild Prediction: Colorado Moneyline at 1.86

• Main Pick: Colorado has won every home game in this Stanley Cup playoff run, averaging 4.5 goals per game. Minnesota, meanwhile, has lost three of its last four games and allowed at least four goals in each of those defeats. The Avalanche have been active throughout the series, averaging 34 shots on goal per game. The home team has enough offensive volume to close out the series in the next matchup. The pick is Colorado moneyline at 1.86. A likely correct score is 5-4.
• Total Pick: Both teams were productive offensively during the regular season, and that trend has continued in the playoffs. Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild games in this series have averaged 8.8 total goals. Based on that scoring profile, the pick is over 6.5 goals at 2.17.
• Power-Play Goals Pick: Colorado has been strong on the power play in the playoffs, scoring with the man advantage in five straight games. Minnesota has struggled on the penalty kill, stopping only 59.5% of opposing power plays. The trend points toward Colorado team power-play goals over 0.5.