Avalanche Erase Two-Score Deficit To Defeat Edmonton Oilers In OT, 6-5; Advance to Stanley Cup Finals

Colorado’s resilient offense helped the Avs climb out of a two-goal advantage by the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1, in the third period of Game 4, pushing the contest into overtime and winning, 6-5, to knock Edmonton out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Colorado heads back to the Finals after a nearly two-decade drought since defeating the New Jersey Devils, 4-3, in 2001.

The Avs pulled off a four-game sweep to win the Western Conference playoffs and advance to their fourth appearance in the Finals.

Edmonton played without Evander Kane for the evening, serving a one-game suspension.

The awful defense on display from the Oilers did not do justice to the team’s stars, including Connor McDavid and a tough-as-nails Leon Draisaitl, who was playing through a high ankle sprain in the elimination game.

Devon Toews, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen stepped up for the Avs to climb out of the deficit, with Cole Makar scoring in the first for Colorado.

After Colorado’s three-goal rally to go up 5-4, Edmonton responded with a goal from Zack Kassian to tie up the game and head into overtime.

Artturi Lehkonen sent the Avs to the Finals off the overtime goal shot past Edmonton’s Mike Smith, whose performance in Game 4 inspired faint confidence of seeing the Oiler’s third-period lead through.

Colorado advances to their fourth Finals series — having won all three appearances as the only NHL team with a 100 percent win rate.

The Avalanche are set to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers series winner in the East.

Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela