The Colorado Avalanche have been waiting 18 years to clinch a playoff series on home ice—and they finally did it in style. The last time? Way back in 2008 against the Minnesota Wild. Fast forward to 2026, and history repeated itself as the Avs took down the very same opponent, this time with a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory.

Down 3-0 after the first period, Colorado looked dead in the water. But this team doesn't quit. They stormed back with two goals in the final minutes of regulation, setting the stage for an unlikely hero. Brett Kulak—yes, Brett Kulak—scored his first career game-winning playoff goal to send the Avs to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2022. Talk about a moment he'll never forget.

What's most impressive about this run is how efficient Colorado has been. After sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round, they made quick work of the Wild. Head coach Jared Bednar knew his squad would face a banged-up opponent in Round 2, whether it was Dallas or Minnesota. The Avs wanted the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage for exactly this reason—to avoid the brutal opening-round gauntlet they'd faced the previous two years.

And it paid off. A rested, energized Avalanche team faced a Wild roster missing key players Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek, both injured late in the Dallas series. That's the difference between playing four games and six games. Sure, Minnesota might have put up a better fight with a full lineup, but let's be real—Colorado was the deeper, more experienced team. Winning the series in five games? They earned every bit of it.

The regular season doesn't always matter, but this time it did. Just like in 2022.

1. This year's Minnesota Wild never felt like they had the juice to beat the Avs. Even fully healthy, Colorado likely would have ended this quickly. This series felt a lot like the Avalanche's matchup against a deeper Dallas Stars team—except this time, the Avs were the ones with the edge.