Avalanche to play Golden Knights or Ducks in Western Conference Final

The Colorado Avalanche will play the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks within the Western Conference Final.

The Avalanche superior to the West Final for the primary time since 2022 with a 4-3 time beyond regulation win towards the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday.

“I’ve been trying to keep tabs, obviously a little later with the West Coast games,” goaltender Scott Wedgewood mentioned. “I’ve been putting it on, watching highlights, keeping tabs on two great teams again. Whoever you get you know it’s going to be a battle but excited to be there and have a chance to play and move along.”

The Avalanche, the No. 1 seed within the Central Division and Western Conference, can have home-ice benefit within the best-of-7 sequence towards the Golden Knights, the No. 1 seed within the Pacific Division, or the Ducks, the No. 3 seed within the Pacific. Vegas leads that sequence 3-2 with Game 6 in Anaheim on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN360, SN, TVAS).

“I think now [I’ll] pay closer attention to that one,” defenseman Brett Kulak mentioned. “The playoffs is a long grind and you want to keep your focus narrow. So I think for us, it’s just been Minnesota the last number of days, but now we can get some rest and turn our attention. Just keep an eye on both those teams and see how that series goes.”

Center Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with 13 factors (seven targets, six assists) within the playoffs, and ahead Martin Necas has 11 factors (one purpose, 10 assists). Captain Gabriel Landeskog (three targets, 5 assists) and defenseman Devon Toews (two targets, six assists) every has eight factors, and defenseman Cale Makar has 4 targets.

Wedgewood is 7-1 with a 2.21 goals-against common and .914 save proportion in eight video games. Mackenzie Blackwood is 1-0 with a 3.20 GAA and .872 save proportion in three video games (two begins).