Brett Kulak scores 3:52 into OT, Avs advance to West final with 4-3 win over Wild

DENVER (AP) — Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime after Nathan MacKinnon tied it late in regulation and the Colorado Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Kulak capped a wild comeback for the Avalanche, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period. Colorado moves on to the conference final for an eighth time since relocating to Denver in 1995-96.

The Avalanche will face the Vegas-Anaheim winner. Vegas leads that series 3-2.

With Minnesota up 3-1, Jack Drury scored with 3:33 remaining to set the stage for MacKinnon's goal with 1:23 left with the Colorado goal empty. The star forward sent a shot from the left side past Jesper Wallstedt and into a small space in the top left corner.

In overtime, Martin Necas took the puck, glided behind the net and back out front, where he found an open Kulak. Without missing a stride, he lined it past Wallstedt.

Kulak joined the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal that Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh. Kulak was the 16th Avalanche player to score in the series.

“You always like to dream about it,” Kulak said. “The player I am, I'm not the guy (they're) looking down the bench, hollering, ‘Get out there, go win it for us.’”

It was a rare series-ending win at home for Colorado, too. The last time the Avalanche won a series on home ice was 2008 against the Wild, when the team had Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.

“That was fun,” MacKinnon said. “A lot of fun.”

Marcus Johansson scored 34 seconds into the game and Nick Foligno added two goals to give the Wild a 3-0 after the first period. It led Colorado to take out Mackenzie Blackwood after the first and insert Scott Wedgewood, who made seven saves.

The Avalanche overcame a three-goal deficit to win a playoff game for just the third time in 53 tries since moving to Denver. The Wild had been 21-0 when leading a playoff game by at least three goals before the elimination loss.

Wallstedt stopped 30 shots for the Wild. Matt Boldy and Nico Sturm each had two assists for a banged-up Wild team that was missing center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin all series.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury, center, is congratulated by, from left, center Nicolas Roy, right wing Valeri Nichushkin, and defensemen Devon Toews and Brent Burns in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, left, allows a goal by Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon as left wing Gabriel Landeskog looks on in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt reacts after allowing the winning goal on a shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, center, misses a goal shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak as Minnesota right wing Mats Zuccarello, left, and defenseman Jared Spurgeon cover in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton, left, checks Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton, front, puts a shot on Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, top front, pins Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman as Colorado goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood looks on in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, center, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the second period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Danny Jansen had a game-ending single with two outs as the Texas Rangers rallied for a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in a frantic ninth inning that included three-run rallies by both teams.

Jansen capped the Rangers comeback when he grounded the only pitch thrown by Juan Morillo into the left-field corner. Morillo relieved Paul Sewald (0-4), who had converted his first nine save opportunities.

Ezequiel Duran had an RBI double and Jake Burger, whose three-run homer for Texas in the fifth produced the game's first runs, tied the game with an RBI single and chased Sewald.

Arizona had gone ahead 5-3 in the top half. Nolan Arenado’s RBI double off Jacob Latz, the sixth of seven Texas pitchers, tied the game at 3 and Ildemaro Vargas lined a two-run single.

Cal Quantrill (2-0) took over after Latz failed to retire a batter.

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager struck out starting the ninth and finished 0 for 4, slipping into a career-worst slump.

Seager has gone seven games in a row without a hit. That is the longest hitless span in the two-time World Series MVP's 12 big league seasons, as is the 0-for-27 span with 11 strikeouts over the last week. He has a .179 batting average.

Diamondbacks left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who fouled a pitch hard off the inside of his left knee in the fourth, had an RBI double in the sixth. Arenado had a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and his double came after Corbin Carroll led off the ninth with a double and Geraldo Perdomo walked.

Rangers starter Kumar Rocker walked four and needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings. Arizona right-hander Ryne Nelson, who gave up Burger's homer, struck out eight without a walk over seven innings.

A day off for both teams before road games Friday night: Arizona at Colorado, and the Rangers in Houston.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen kneels by Arizona Diamondbacks' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. who fouled a pitch onto legs in the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas celebrates his two-run single in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Alejandro Osuna, from left, Danny Jansen, Jake Burger (21) and Evan Carter, second from right, celebrate Burger's three-run home run as umpire Jansen Visconti, right, stands by the plate in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran, from left, Sam Haggerty, Danny Jansen and Jake Burger (21), celebrate Jansen's run-scoring single in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers' Ezequiel Duran, left, Danny Jansen (9) Sam Haggerty, rear, and MacKenzie Gore, right, celebrate Jansen's run-scoring single in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)