Minnesota Wild

The Avalanche will face either the Anaheim Ducks or the Vegas Golden Knights in the conference final.

It hasn't been the star center’s flashiest performance, but it has been business-like and effective. Just like the team he leads.

Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill won the award the previous three seasons.

Zuccarello indicated that if he doesn’t choose to retire, he’d like to return and stay “loyal” to a group he’s been a big part of.

The Avalanche earned the chance to win the series at home for the first time since 2008 with a professional 5-2 win.

Coach John Hynes: “The style of game that we needed to play to win the game, we made the conscious choice not to play that way tonight."

Plus: How to solve Jackson LaCombe, the Sabres' tweaks on the man advantage and the Wild's uncharacteristically leaky penalty kill.

The beer-filled plastic hockey sticks have become a must-get at Grand Casino Arena: "Part drinkware, part souvenir, and all energy."

Speaking on ESPN at the break, McCarron was asked about the play. "He's a dirty player," he said of Manson. "He's always been."

Josh Manson and Joel Kiviranta return to the Colorado lineup, and Mackenzie Blackwood gets his first start of the postseason.

Blackwood came in relief of Wedgewood in the second period in Game 3 and stopped 12 of 13 shots he faced.

Kaprizov has high standards for himself as one of the Wild's best players. When he hits that level, as in Game 3 on Saturday, it shows.

Scott Wedgewood has allowed 11 goals in just over seven periods against the Wild and was relieved by Mackenzie Blackwood on Saturday.

There’s still a long way to go, but the type of performance we saw in Game 3 looked like a template to beat the Presidents' Trophy winners.

Playing with a Game 7 mentality, the Wild came out of the gates flying in Game 3 and won to narrow the Avalanche's series lead to 2-1.