Avalanche Fall 5-4 to Stars in Shootout

Defeat at Home

The Avalanche lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Dallas Stars on Saturday at Ball Arena. Avs defenseman Brent Burns became the 23rd player and eighth defenseman in NHL history to play 1,500 games and Gavin Brindley scored his first NHL goal. Additionally, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each added tallies and a pair of assists while Artturi Lehkonen netted his second goal of the season.

"I really liked the way we played tonight," Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said. "The things we talked about after game two (against Utah), we were so much better at. [It was] our most dangerous offensive game by a mile."

How It Happened

Thomas Harley put Dallas on the board first at 18:51 of the first period with a one-timer from the high slot.

At 3:54 of the second period, Necas tied the game with his third goal of the season via a wrist shot from the bottom of the right circle set up by Nathan MacKinnon's fantastic cross-ice feed.

"Tonight they were super dangerous right from the get-go," Bednar said about the Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas line.

Brindley gave the Avs a 2-1 lead at 10:07 of the middle frame with a shot from the doorstep set up by Victor Olofsson's centering feed.

"I saw [Olofsson] again on the left side," Brindley said when describing his goal. "Saw him get a step on him (a Dallas defender), and I thought he would kind of make a play to the net, and he made a heck of a play. Slipped it under a stick and the other D went to him, and I was open in front. So, kudos to him."

Brindley said he was excited to score his first goal in such a big game.

"You could just tell the intensity out there," Brindley said. "It was like a playoff game there in the third. I thought we did a great job, and I thought we played a really good game.”

Nathan Bastian tied the game for Dallas at 15:22 of the second period with a goal from the doorstep.

The Stars took a 3-2 lead at 18:25 of the middle frame when Jason Robertson redirected a left-point shot.

Lehkonen tied the game at 34 seconds of the third period via a shot from doorstep set up by MacKinnon's feed.

Wyatt Johnston gave the Stars a 4-3 lead with a breakaway goal at 1:58 of the third period.

At 10:46 of the third period, MacKinnon tied the game on the power play with his second goal of the season via a left-circle one-timer set by Necas' feed.

In the shootout, Mikko Rantanen scored the winner for Dallas in the third round.

Next Up

The Avalanche begin a two-game road trip against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday at 10:30 a.m. MT on Altitude and Altitude+.