Game 4 recap
Star Tribune's three stars
1. Mikael Granlund, Wild: Center assisted on Jared Spurgeon's goal, drew three penalties and blocked three shots during a Colorado 6-on-4 in the closing minutes.
2. Semyon Varlamov, Avalanche: In a game in which Colorado was once again dominated, the goalie made 30 saves.
3. Erik Haula, Wild: Another great job defensively and stellar on the Wild's 4-for-4 penalty kill.
Turning point
The direction was set in the opening two minutes, when the Wild dominated territorially, clearly showing that the Avalanche was not going to quickly recover from Monday's overtime loss. The Wild ended up with a 14-3 edge in shots in the first period and, despite the 2-1 score, the game was not close at all in terms of possession and shots.
By the numbers
0 Shots by Avalanche star rookie Nathan MacKinnon.
5 Assists by Zach Parise, which leads the Wild in the playoffs (one Thursday).
14-for-15 Wild penalty kill in the series.
124 minutes, 35 seconds Shutout streak stopped for Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper.
