Colorado won because a 14-shot advantage at even strength created relentless second-half pressure that erased a three-goal deficit, while Minnesota's 12 giveaways surrendered the puck in critical situations.
β‘TURNING POINT
Kelly's goal at 11:00 of the second was decisive because it was the first proof that Minnesota's defensive structure had cracked β conceding at even strength off a zone entry that Colorado's depth lines, not their stars, generated. A 3-1 deficit still feels manageable for a team with MacKinnon; a 3-0 lead shutout going into period three would not have been.
πWHY COL WON
1
Shot Volume: 34 shots to Minnesota's 20 β Colorado generated 14 more scoring chances, and the sustained territorial dominance in periods two and three meant the tying and winning goals were statistical probability, not luck.
2
Puck Retrieval: Takeaways 8 vs Minnesota's 4 β Colorado won the possession battle in the neutral zone repeatedly, converting turnovers into offensive-zone time that Minnesota's blocked shot total (23) could not fully absorb.
3
Depth Scoring: Kelly, Kulak, and Drury β none of them top-line players β combined for the first three Colorado goals. Minnesota's penalty kill and defensive structure had no answer for Colorado's full-roster pressure across four lines.
πWHY MIN LOST
1
Goaltending Margin: Wallstedt conceded 0.60 goals above league average on 34 shots β in a one-goal overtime game, that margin was the difference between advancing and losing.
2
Giveaways: 12 giveaways against a team that converted takeaways into transition offense repeatedly. Minnesota handed Colorado the puck in dangerous situations throughout the final 40 minutes, undermining the defensive structure that had produced 23 blocked shots.
3
Shot Suppression Collapse: Minnesota managed just 20 shots against a team allowing Colorado to generate 34 β after the first period, Minnesota stopped getting to the net and could not restore offensive zone time to relieve defensive pressure.
Three Stars
Brett Kulak1st
COL, D
1G 1A 2PTOI 26:54
Kulak's overtime winner and primary assist on Kelly's pivotal second-period goal made him directly responsible for two of the four goals that completed the comeback across 26:54 of deployment.
Martin Necas2nd
COL, C
0G 2A 2P+/- +2TOI 23:17
Primary assists on both the tying goal and the overtime winner, with a +2 rating across 23 minutes, show Necas as the connective thread in Colorado's entire comeback sequence.
Nick Foligno3rd
MIN, L
2G 0A 2PSOG 3TOI 12:45
Two even-strength goals in the first period built the lead that Minnesota ultimately could not defend, representing the entirety of the Wild's productive offensive contribution over 64 minutes.
