The Colorado Avalanche are a win away from the Western Conference finals after a 5-2 victory in Game 4 over the Minnesota Wild in St. Paul, and the team delivered 32 hits — its first 30-plus hit game of the postseason, the report says.
The report says coach Jared Bednar altered defensive pairings, forward lines and the starting goaltender, moves that produced the desired result on the scoreboard and a noticeable shift in approach. Bednar said the playoffs require buy-in and heightened physicality, adding that with less space on the ice players must be more physical whether checking the puck back or protecting possession.
The Avalanche’s increased physicality stands in contrast to their regular-season profile. The report says Colorado ranked among the NHL’s bottom teams in hits during regular seasons from 2021-22 to 2025-26, finishing no higher than 24th and averaging 18 hits per game over that span. The team finished 31st this season, averaging 15.4 hits per game, per the report.
By contrast, the report says the Avs have averaged 35.6 hits per playoff game over the past four postseasons, and came into this year’s playoffs averaging about 25 hits in their first seven games. The 32-hit performance in Game 4 was described in the report as a ramping up of that approach, and captain Gabriel Landeskog said the heightened physicality is simply what the time of year calls for.
The report says Colorado’s underlying possession strength remains strong: according to Natural Stat Trick the Avs sit in the top five in 5-on-5 shot share since the 2021-22 season. The club also retains nine players from its 2022 Stanley Cup-winning roster — the report notes the number dipped after the Samuel Girard trade but returned to nine when general manager Chris MacFarland reacquired Nazem Kadri at the trade deadline — and includes names such as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog.
The report says the Avalanche’s physical uptick likely will be monitored in Game 5 on Wednesday in Denver, where the team can close out the series and carry the playoff-style intensity forward.
