“Got a Big Hill to Climb,” Jared Bednar Doesn’t Mince Words After Avalanche’s Brutal Collapse in WCF Game 3

The Colorado Avalanche blew a 3-0 lead in Game 3 and suffered a 5-3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.

“Got a Big Hill to Climb,” Jared Bednar Doesn’t Mince Words After Avalanche’s Brutal Collapse in WCF Game 3

Jared Bednar (Image via People)

In Short
  • The Colorado Avalanche face elimination after a 5-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
  • Head coach Jared Bednar acknowledged the team's low morale, stating they have a "big hill to climb" to recover.
  • Only four teams in NHL history have come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win, putting the Avalanche's chances in jeopardy.

The Colorado Avalanche are in dire trouble. The team suffered a brutal collapse in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday at the T-Mobile Arena. Following their defeat, head coach Jared Bednar did not mince his words and expressed that his side has a “big hill to climb.”

Up until now, the Avs had been the dominant force. After winning the President’s Trophy with a 55-16-11 record, the team swept the Los Angeles Kings 4-0 in the first round before eliminating the Minnesota Wild 4-1 in the second round.

As for the Golden Knights, they took down the Utah Mammoth 4-2 in the first round before winning 4-2 against the Anaheim Ducks as well. Given the form and teams they had beaten, the Avs were considered favorites in this series.

However, things have come crashing down for them. After losing 4-2 and 3-1 in Games 1 and 2, the Denver-based side needed a result in Game 3. They seemed to be on their way through it as goals from Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Jack Drury in the first period put them 3-0 up.

Up until this game, the Avalanche had a perfect record when leading by multiple goals. They were 52-0-0 in both regular and postseason games when they were leading. The Golden Knights ended up snapping this wild streak with an incredible comeback.

Goals from Mark Stone, William Karlsson, and Keegan Kolesar in the second period tied the game at 3-3. A backhand shot from Tomas Hertl in the third period turned the game around, leading to huge cheers from the home fans.

With less than a minute remaining, Brett Howden sealed the game through an empty-net goal, which made it 5-3. The win saw the Golden Knights take a 3-0 lead and push the Avalanche to the verge of elimination with a potential sweep.

The Avs’ season is now on the line. A loss on Tuesday in Game 4 will see them get knocked out. Following the loss on Sunday, Bednar admitted the emotions in the locker room are low.

It’s low. It’s as low as it can get. ‘Cause you got a big hill to climb. The next 24-36 hours is for you gotta find a way to get over it, regroup, and go again.

Jared Bednar regarding Avalanche’s Game 3 loss

In NHL history, only 4 times has a team come back from 3-0 down to win the series. On 6 occasions, teams have come from 3-0 down to tie the series at 3-3 only to lose Game 7.

The most recent example of this was in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final when the Edmonton Oilers came back and won Games 4, 5, and 6 before losing Game 7 against the Florida Panthers.

RELATED
Jessica Pegula Slams Troll for ‘Rich Spoiled Brat’ Criticism After Buffalo Sabres’ No Goal Controversy

Is the President’s Trophy curse going to strike Avalanche?

The Colorado Avalanche are on the brink of elimination. One more loss and their 2025-26 season will be over. The Game 3 loss against the Vegas Golden Knights has once again sparked conversation about the curse of the President’s Trophy.

Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon
Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (Image via ESPN)

First of all, what is the President’s Trophy? This is an award given to the team that has the best record in the regular season. This season, the Avs had the best record, finishing with 121 points by going 55-16-11.

So if a team wins this honor, they are supposedly the best team in the NHL. Right? Unfortunately, winning the President’s Trophy does not always guarantee the Stanley Cup triumph.

Since its inception during the 1985-86 season, only 8 winners of this award in 40 seasons have won it all. The Avs are one of them, having done so in the 2000-01 season.

Interestingly, no President’s Trophy winner has won the Stanley Cup since 2013. So if the Avs are unable to come back in the series against the Golden Knights and lift the cup by winning the Stanley Cup Final, this streak will go on.

The attention now turns towards Game 4 on Tuesday. Speaking of the Eastern Conference Final, that series is tied at 1-1 after the Carolina Hurricanes’ 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Also Read: