Brett Kulak has had quite the year leading up to his series-winning goal for the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old started the season with the Edmonton Oilers before being sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner trade in December. He then joined the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline in March, averaging 19 minutes of ice time for the league leaders.
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild took a 3-0 lead in the first period as they tried to stay alive in the second round.
But in the second period, Kulak recorded a secondary assist on Parker Kelly's goal to make it 3-1. The Avs continued to chip away, and Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with less than two minutes left in regulation.
Nearly four minutes into overtime, Kulak became the hero.
The shutdown defenseman, who's not known to produce much offense, scored his first goal of the playoffs and second of the year to secure a berth in the Western Conference final for the Avalanche.
Colorado will face either the Vegas Golden Knights or Anaheim Ducks. Their series will end on Thursday if Vegas wins Game 6.
Here are series updates, odds for the next game in each matchup from BetMGM, leading scorers in these NHL playoffs and the schedule for Thursday.
May 14 NHL Playoff Schedule
Times are listed in eastern time.
Game 5: Montreal at Buffalo, Thursday, May 14, 7 p.m. (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, CBC, TVAS)
Game 6: Vegas at Anaheim, Thursday, May 14, 9:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV, HBO Max, SN, SN360, TVAS)
Buffalo Sabres (A1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (A3)
Series tied 2-2
Game 1: Montreal 2, Buffalo 4
Game 2: Montreal 5, Buffalo 1
Game 3: Buffalo 2, Montreal 6
Game 4: Buffalo 3, Montreal 2
Game 5 odds on BetMGM: Montreal (2.00/+100), Buffalo (1.83/-120)
– Buffalo Sabres Overcome Adversity Despite Lack Of Playoff Experience: 'Stick With The Process'
– Canadiens Fall 3-2 To Sabres As Bad Bounce Proves Key
– The Sabres Survived Absolute Chaos To Save Their Season
Carolina Hurricanes (M1) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (M3)
Carolina wins 4-0
Game 1: Philadelphia 0, Carolina 3
Game 2: Philadelphia 2, Carolina 3 (OT)
Game 3: Carolina 4, Philadelphia 1
Game 4: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2 (OT)
– The Carolina Hurricanes 'Cakewalk' To The Eastern Conference Final
– Post-Mortem: Flyers Take Step In The Right Direction But Require Off-Season Moves
– Jackson Blake Shooting Into Stardom
Colorado Avalanche (C1) vs. Minnesota Wild (C3)
Colorado wins 4-1
Game 1: Minnesota 6, Colorado 9
Game 2: Minnesota 2, Colorado 5
Game 3: Colorado 1, Minnesota 5
Game 4: Colorado 5, Minnesota 2
Game 5: Minnesota 3, Colorado 4 (OT)
– Wild Blow 3-0 First Period Lead, Eliminated In 5 Games To Avalanche
– Game Blog: Minnesota Wild Vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 5
– Loucks: Avalanche Show The Wild The Difference Between Contenders And Pretenders
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (P3)
Vegas leads 3-2
Game 1: Anaheim 1, Vegas 3
Game 2: Anaheim 3, Vegas 1
Game 3: Vegas 6, Anaheim 2
Game 4: Vegas 3, Anaheim 4
Game 5: Anaheim 2, Vegas 3 (OT)
Game 6 odds on BetMGM: Anaheim (1.91/-110), Vegas (1.91/-110)
– The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: 3 Takeaways From Golden Knights' Game 5 Win
– Takeaways From The Ducks' 3-2 Loss
– 'No Moment Too Big' For Golden Knights In Critical Game 5 Overtime Win
Leading Scorers
1. Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights: 16 points, 11 games
T-2. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights: 15 points, 11 games
T-2. Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild: 15 points, 11 games
T-2. Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild: 15 points, 11 games
T-5. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche: 13 points, 9 games
T-5. Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild: 13 points, 11 points
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