Staving Off The Stars: Avalanche Look To Force Game Seven Against Dallas

The Avalanche look to force a Game Seven when they host the Stars on Friday night for Game Six. The game is at 8 p.m. MT and will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV, MAX, Sportsnet, SN1, and TVA Sports. The Avs/Nordiques have posted a 6-0 record in Game Five when trailing in a series 3-1. Colorado is attempting to win their first playoff series in franchise history when trailing three games to one (0-5).

ROUND 2 SCHEDULE VS. DALLAS

• May 7 at Dallas - Game 1; Result COL: 4 DAL: 3 (OT)
• May 9 at Dallas - Game 2, Result DAL: 5 COL: 3
• May 11 vs. Dallas - Game 3, Result DAL: 4 COL: 1
• May 13 vs. Dallas - Game 4, Result DAL: 5 COL: 1
• May 15 at Dallas - Game 5, Result COL: 5 DAL: 3
• May 17 vs. Dallas - Game 6, (TNT, truTV, MAX)
• May 19 at Dallas - Game 7, TBD*

*If necessary

REGULAR SEASON RESULTS VS. DALLAS

• Nov. 18 at Dallas (W, 6-3)
• Jan. 4 at Dallas (W, 5-4 OT)
• Feb. 27 vs. Dallas (W, 5-1)
• Apr. 7 vs. Dallas (L, 7-4)

THRILLING WIN IN TEXAS

Colorado defeated Dallas 5-3 in Dallas on Wednesday night in Game 5. Dallas struck first when Joe Pavelski tallied his first goal of the playoffs. The Avalanche knotted the game at one with 0.6 seconds remaining in the first period thanks to Artturi Lehkonen's power-play goal. Miro Heiskanen lit the lamp on the man advantage to regain the lead for the Stars. Colorado responded with a power play tally from Cale Makar to level the game at two going into the second intermission. Early in the third period, Casey Mittelstadt found a loose puck in front of the net and directed it past Jake Oettinger. Makar extended the lead when he beat Oettinger through his five-hole. The Stars cut into the deficit when Logan Stankoven tipped a point shot into the back of the net. Nathan MacKinnon tallied an insurance marker with just over three minutes remaining in the third period.

SCORING SUPERSTARS

Makar recorded 2g/0a for his second career multi-goal game. Rob Blake is the only other defenseman in franchise history to register a multi-goal game twice. Makar has tallied 21 postseason goals in his career. Paul Coffey (36), Bobby Orr (25) and Denis Potvin (22) are the only defensemen in NHL history to have more than Makar prior to turning 26 years old.

The defenseman’s first tally was the ninth power-play marker of his career, jumping into the top 10 on the Avalanche/Nordiques leaderboard among all skaters. His next goal on the man advantage will tie Sandis Ozolinsh for the most by a blueliner with the franchise.

Makar’s second goal qualified as the game-winner. It was the fifth of his career, surpassing Ozolinsh for the most game-winning tallies by a defenseman in Avalanche/Nordiques history.

MacKinnon tallied 1g/1a. His helper was his 10th assist of the playoffs to become the first Avalanche skater to reach that mark this postseason. This season is the third time in his career that MacKinnon has reached 10 helpers in a postseason, trailing only Joe Sakic (five times) and Peter Forsberg (five times) for the most in franchise history.

Mikko Rantanen required 80 games to reach 100 points, tying Glenn Anderson for the eighth-fewest games to record 100-plus points in NHL history. Wayne Gretzky (46 GP), Mario Lemieux (50 GP), Jari Kurri (67 GP), Mike Bossy (74 GP), Sidney Crosby (75 GP), Nathan MacKinnon (77 GP) and Denis Savard (78 GP) are the only NHLers to reach the 80-point mark faster.

Lehkonen recorded 1g/1a. He has totaled 11 points (6g/5a) in the playoffs to become the fifth Avalanche skater to reach that mark, tying Edmonton and the New York Rangers for the most double-digit scorers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Lehkonen’s goal came with 0.6 seconds left in the opening frame. That is the second latest postseason tally in franchise history; Nazem Kadri found the back of the net with 0.1 seconds left in the third period on August 2, 2020, vs St. Louis.

Jonathan Drouin notched an assist on Makar’s goal and has found the scoresheet in both postseason contests since returning to the lineup (0g/2a).

PLAYOFF PATH: ROUND 1 RESULTS

The Avalanche defeated the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 4-1.

• Apr. 21 at Winnipeg; L 7-6
• Apr. 23 at Winnipeg; W 5-2
• Apr. 26 vs. Winnipeg; W 6-2
• Apr. 28 vs. Winnipeg; W 5-1
• Apr. 30 at Winnipeg; W 6-3

POSTSEASON LEADERS

9

Mittelstadt (3g/6a) and Rantanen (3g/7a) are tied for the fourth-most even strength points in the league this postseason with nine apiece.

5

Makar is tied with Heiskanen for the most goals by a defenseman in these playoffs with five.

40

MacKinnon ranks sixth among all skaters this postseason with 40 shots on goals.

QUOTE THAT LEFT A MARK

“We got some cleaner entries. I had to do a better job of creating cleaner entries for the boys and I had a couple of good ones. You got Cale [Makar] up top with some time and great screens, that’s what kind of makes it successful. Pretty simple hockey and obviously Lehky (Lehkonen) found a pocket and that was a great shot there too.”

- MacKinnon on the power play success