NHL 25: Avalanche win in overtime to take 3-2 series lead

I can’t lie. I was actually on the edge of my seat watching it myself.

The Colorado Avalanche will win Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at American Airlines Center.

That’s according to NHL 25, but if the simulation is even remotely accurate, it will be stressful and down to the wire. Colorado won 4-3 in overtime to secure the victory.

Jack Drury scored two goals on just three shots on net. Brock Nelson and Marty Nečas also scored for the Avalanche. Cale Makar also had two assists.

The Stars scored all three of their goals on the power play. Matt Duchene scored twice for Dallas, and Mikko Rantanen also scored. Esa Lindell also had two assists for Dallas.

Mackenzie Blackwood overcame some struggles to stop 30 of 33 shots, and Jake Oettinger did as well as he could possibly do. He stopped 46 of 50 shots.

With the win, Colorado takes a 3-2 series lead and has the chance to close this series out in six games at home.

First Period

The game started with a penalty when Makar carried the puck into the attacking zone but was brought down by an elbow to the back from Ilya Lyubushkin. And boom. Colorado scored on the power play when Nečas beat Oettinger with a backhander around the right pad to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.

However, Dallas went on the power play nearly a minute later when Logan O’Connor was whistled for holding Thomas Harley against the boards. The Stars subsequently tied the game when Duchene scored on the man-advantage.

With just over five minutes left in the first, Colorado had a beautiful opportunity set up by their vintage tic-tac-toe sequence, and just as O’Connor had an open look at Oettinger, the puck was knocked away.

Rantanen ripped a slapper by the left circle with 3:23 left, but Blackwood gloved it.

At the end of the first, the game remained tied at one, while Colorado had a 12-6 advantage in shots on net.

Second Period

Nichushkin ripped a one-timer from the right circle nearly four minutes into the period, but Oettinger made yet another beautiful cross-crease save. On the very next play, Oettinger made a butterfly save on Parker Kelly, who had an excellent look from the left side of the net.

Dallas went on the power play when Makar tripped Colin Blackwell, and it unfortunately led to another PP goal when Rantanen beat Blackwood on the backhand.

But the Avalanche got one back almost immediately when Devon Toews found Drury all alone down the left wing, and he went on a breakaway to beat Oettinger and tie the game at two goals apiece.

Colorado received a break with 3:29 left in the frame when Sam Steel took down Joel Kiviranta with an elbow.

Third Period

After failing to convert on the power play, Colorado decided another penalty kill was worth the risk when Toews was called for holding Hintz against the boards. And it resulted in yet another power play goal when Duchene spun a backhand around Blackwood to make it a 3-2 Stars game.

On the next play, Nečas got an EA Sports Frostbite experience when his player seemingly exploded into the air, but no penalty was called. The Avalanche made up for it, though, when Nelson beat Oettinger on a quick wrister that bounced off the bottom of Oettinger’s right pad and in. This occurred as a delayed penalty was called on Hintz for slashing Makar on the hands. To Makar’s credit, he shook the slash off and nearly tipped in Nelson’s goal, but it managed to trickle in anyway.

The game remained tied 3-3 with 6:42 left in regulation, but Nelson was penalized for cross-checking. Blackwood came up with a big glove save on a Rantanen backhand to avoid a fourth power-play goal.

Colorado finally killed a penalty for once, and when Nelson exited the box, he received a feed from Nečas, but it clanged off the post.

Overtime

12:38 into overtime, Drury won the draw in the Dallas defensive zone. When Samuel Girard picked up the puck, he snapped it from the point, and it was knocked down by Drury, who whipped around a wrist shot over Oettinger’s blocker to win the game for Colorado.