Nathan MacKinnon's postgame gesture instantly set the hockey world on fire
Nathan MacKinnon gave Jared Bednar the exact pulse of Colorado's room after the Avalanche stormed back and buried Minnesota.
This was not a quiet playoff win. Colorado trailed 3-0, looked cooked early, then ripped the game right out of the Wild's hands.
That's why MacKinnon looked so charged up after the horn. He wasn't just relieved. He looked like a star who knew his team had just pulled off the kind of comeback that can harden a locker room.
His quote said it all: «This game was fun. Really fun.»
That line lands because the Avalanche had every reason to sag. Instead, they kept coming, tied it late, then finished it in overtime.
Brett Kulak won it at 3:52 of overtime, and MacKinnon had already dragged Colorado level with the tying goal at 18:37 of the third. Jack Drury scored 2:10 before that to set the table.
MacKinnon's other postgame quote hit just as hard:
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Nathan MacKinnon made a postgame gesture that has everyone talking
That quote was half joke, half truth, and it fit the night perfectly. Colorado gave up the first 3 goals, then turned the rest of the game into a long, exhausting chase for Minnesota.
Martin Necas took it deeper than the scoreboard. His full quote pulled the whole room into focus:
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That is not fluff after a win like this. That is a player spelling out why a team down 3-0 still believed the game was there.
Colorado also moved on in 5 games, which makes the comeback feel even bigger. It did not just save one night. It slammed the door on the series.
The Avalanche reached the Western Conference Final for the 8th time since the franchise moved to Colorado, and they did it with a win that looked dead in the first period.
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That is why MacKinnon's mood matters. Superstars set the emotional ceiling in spring hockey, and he looked flat-out thrilled that his team found another gear when the game was slipping.
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Bednar's club now heads forward with something better than momentum. It has proof. Down 3-0, under pressure, with the season trying to tilt the wrong way, Colorado answered with belief, push, and a finish the room will remember.
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MAY 13, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Nick Foligno | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Parker Kelly | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brett Kulak | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Boldy | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brent Burns | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Martin Necas | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Nico Sturm | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jack Drury | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Marcus Johansson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Quinn Hughes | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nicolas Roy | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Devon Toews | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Ahcan | - | - | - | |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | - | - | - | |
| Ross Colton | - | - | - | |
| Brock Faber | - | - | - | |
| Marcus Foligno | - | - | - | |
| Ryan Hartman | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||