Avalanche Win Wild Game 4, Sweep Oilers to Advance

The Colorado Avalanche are heading to the Stanley Cup Final.

For the first time since 2001, the Avs have won the Western Conference, and this time, they did it by sweeping the Oilers. This series featured some wild contests, but the Avalanche were simply better than Edmonton in all facets.

In Game 4, Colorado struck early, as defenseman Cale Makar opened the scoring less than four minutes into the game. From there, it was all Edmonton in terms of goal-scoring for the next two periods.

Forward Zach Hyman scored the first of the Oilers’ three second-period goals to give the home team a lead entering the final frame.

It was another Avalanche defenseman, though, that struck next as Devon Toews cut the Edmonton lead to one goal 31 seconds into period three. Hyman would score his second of the game only a few minutes later to regain the two-goal advantage.

The Colorado Avalanche are heading to the Stanley Cup Final.

Colorado stormed back in the middle stages of the period, picking up three goals to take the lead, and that looked as though it could be enough. However, the Oilers scored the tying goal, which sent the game to overtime at 5-5.

Overtime lasted only 1:19 before Artturi Lehkonen buried the rebound from a Makar shot to send the Avs on to play for the Stanley Cup.

The back-and-forth action, the flurry of goals in period three, and the championship-caliber performances by some of the NHL’s brightest stars made Game 4 a thrilling ride for hockey fans.

When it was all said and done, Makar led all skaters in points with five (one goal and four assists) while Leon Draisaitl paced the Oilers with four points (all assists). Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Connor McDavid each had three points.

Certainly, we had hoped for a long, entertaining series, but Colorado was just that much better than Edmonton in these four games. The offensive explosions at times made this a fun series without a doubt, but it really ended up being over before it began.

The Oilers will now turn to the offseason while the Avalanche will look to win the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history (1996 and 2001). Colorado will await the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning.