How the Avalanche became a hitting machine this postseason - ESPN

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Just like there's the game within the game, there can also be a change within the change — and it's one of the reasons why the Colorado Avalanche are now a win away from the Western Conference finals.

The tactical decisions Avalanche coach Jared Bednar made to change his defensive pairings, forward lines and starting goaltender had the desired effect in his team's 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their second-round series on Monday night.

It also had another consequence: The Avalanche, a team that has been known more for their skill, skating and speed, finished with more than 30 hits for the first time this postseason.

A team taking a more physical approach in the playoffs? OK, sure. That's to be expected. What made the Avalanche's 32-hit performance against the Wild significant is how they've added a layer to their game, after already establishing themselves as one of the NHL's most successful regular-season teams.

«I think there's two things. One, it's what the game requires this time of year, right? The biggest change from regular-season hockey and playoff hockey is the buy-in and the commitment to defend from every team,» Bednar said. «And the second thing is intensity and physicality. It's going to go off. There's less room, there's less space. If you want to check the puck back, you've got to be physical. If you want to hang onto the puck, you've got to be more physical.»

No team has won more regular-season games or scored more goals than the Avalanche going back to the 2021-22 campaign in which they won their third Stanley Cup in franchise history. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Avs are also in the top five in shot share in 5-on-5 play within that timeframe, another sign of how