ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jared Bednar made a bold move, and big Mackenzie Blackwood backed him up.

Blackwood, starting his first game since April 14 in Calgary, stopped 19 shots in Colorado’s massive 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 at Grand Casino Arena. The Avalanche grabbed a 3-1 series lead and now can close out the series at rowdy Ball Arena on Wednesday night in front of their fans.

When word got out at morning skate that Blackwood looked like he’d be getting his first start of the postseason, there was a bit of an uproar among the Avalanche fandom. For at least one evening, Blackwood silenced those that doubted him.

“He was great,” Bednar said. “I think he went in the net and did exactly what I was hoping he would do. Like I said before, he had some, like, really strong practices in the last week, he’s had some time to prepare, he’s in-tune with what’s going on in the series and done his homework. And I thought that he went in and played a great game for us.”

There were several scrambles around the Avalanche crease where it was beneficial to have a 6-foot-4, 225-pound goaltender. Blackwood held strong, covering the lower half of the ice in those crazy moments to prevent the puck from going in. The 29-year-old goaltender found out he was getting the start on Sunday, giving him a day to mentally prepare for the moment.

While he acknowledged there’s room for improvement, he was happy with the result.

“Definitely not perfect, but some good things, some things to build upon,” Blackwood said. “You’re never gonna be perfect after 30 days off. So I just try to do my best to stay sharp.”

Bednar has said Blackwood is someone that needs some time to get his game up to speed after not seeing game action for a while. In many ways, the 35 minutes he played in Game 3 were almost a warm-up for him to shake off some of the rust.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s just like another version of preparation, right?” Blackwood said. “I got in last game, got to dip my toes in, kind of realized what I was maybe lacking a little bit of and what I was feeling good with so just helped you out a little bit.”

Perhaps Blackwood’s finest moment came early in the third period, with the game still tied at one. Former Avalanche forward Nico Sturm got loose in front of the net, giving him a wide-open opportunity.

Sturm’s first shot was kicked out by the long right leg of Blackwood, and the rebound opportunity went right into the logo on the goaltender’s chest. Those are the types of saves the Avalanche needed on a night like Monday, because their best was yet to come.

Moments after that save, Ross Colton scored his first of the postseason, sneaking away from defenders and taking a beautiful pass from Nicolas Roy to make it 2-1. The lead was short-lived, as Sturm got revenge less than 3 minutes later. He escaped Brock Nelson and beat Blackwood with a one-timer.

From that moment on, it was all Avalanche.

The fourth line, which looked different due to some injuries, came through in the clutch. Jack Drury caught a puck with his glove along the boards, and fed Parker Kelly in the high slot. Kelly, who is now a goal scorer after depositing 21 into the net during the regular season, one-timed a shot over the glove of Jesper Wallstedt, giving the Avalanche a lead they did not relinquish.

Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson both scored into an empty net to seal the Colorado victory. They’ll now have the opportunity to close out a series at home, something they haven’t done since 2008. The team whose season they ended that year? The Minnesota Wild.

Avalanche 5, Wild 2

What happened: At 5-on-5, one team was significantly better than the other.

What went right: Key goals from depth pieces are what win you championships. Ross Colton played one of his best games in an Avalanche uniform, Jared Bednar said, and was rewarded with a goal in the third. Kelly’s game-winner was his first playoff goal. Those are the performances you need to go all the way.

What went wrong: Unfortunately, the Avalanche needed those guys to step up because they were missing some key players. Both Sam Malinski and Artturi Lehkonen did not play due to upper-body injuries. Asked for an update after the game, Bednar did not provide one.

Avalanche goal scorers: Kadri (2), Colton (1), Kelly (1), MacKinnon (6), Nelson (2)

Wild goal scorers: Yurov (1), Sturm (1)

Between the pipes: Blackwood finished with 19 saves on 21 shots.

What’s next: Game 5 will take place at Ball Arena on Wednesday at 6 p.m.