It was another classic Game 7 battle between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars.
The Colorado Avalanche will advance to the Second Round of the Playoffs with a win over the Dallas Stars.
Per NHL 25, Colorado and Dallas will engage in another battle for the ages that saw both teams score twice in the third period. However, with the score tied 2-2 with 2:17 left in the game, Valeri Nichushkin scored off a feed from Gabriel Landeskog to give Colorado the lead. Nichushkin would score again on the next play and the Avalanche defeated the Stars 4-2 at American Airlines Center.
Nichushkin finished the night with two goals, Landeskog had three assists, and Cale Makar had two assists. Brock Nelson and Sam Girard also scored for Colorado. Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston scored for Dallas.
Jake Oettinger stopped 38 of 42 shots and Mackenzie Blackwood stoned 23 of 25.
First Period
As has been the case for most of this series, the Avalanche dominated puck possession in the opening period, but struggled to get pucks in the net as Oettinger continued to be a stone wall. The first period went scoreless, with Colorado holding an 11-7 advantage in shots on net.
Landeskog and Lehkonen each had two shots on net. MacKinnon, Nichushkin, Coyle, and Kiviranta each had a shot on net. Nichushkin had a great opportunity after firing a wrister from the slot, but it was gloved by Oettinger.
Second Period
Just under five minutes into the period, the Avalanche went on their first power play of the game when Thomas Harley was penalized for cross-checking Brock Nelson. Colorado failed to score on the man-advantage, but did have a couple of shots on net. The Avs subsequently went on another power play when Mikko Rantanen cross-checked Sam Girard in the lower back. And while the second PP opportunity also ended without a goal, Colorado still managed to score when Girard carried the puck through the neutral zone and penetrated the Dallas D to score a goal. However, the shenanigans from Dallas continued when Esa Lindell was sent to the box for tripping. The Stars killed off that penalty as well.
Dallas went on their first power play of the night when Sam Malinski was sent to the box for holding. However, Rantanen would get penalized again, resulting in some 4-on-4 action. With 2:23 left in the frame, Matt Duchene zipped a wrister from the slot, but it was gloved by Blackwood.
Brock Nelson was credited with a goal to make it 2-0 Colorado when Lindell tried to clear the puck in front of his own net, but a check from Gabriel Landeskog caused him to knock it into his own net. Well, wouldn’t that be something?
We went to the third period with the Avalanche holding a 2-0 lead and a 21-15 shot advantage.
Third Period
Dallas scored 26 seconds into the third period when Hintz knocked in a rebound after Rantanen’s initial shot bounced off Blackwood’s pad.
Approximately three minutes later, the Stars tied the game when Jamie Benn skated the puck through the neutral zone and connected with Johnston, who faked the backhand before going 5-hole to sneak the puck by Blackwood.
After failing to convert on another power play, Colorado aught another break when Hintz was sent to the box for holding MacKinnon. With 40 seconds left on the PP, Necas one-timed a shot, but it was stopped by Oettinger.
With under three minutes left in the game, Oettinger sprawled out to make a diving save, but missed the puck. Nichushkin went for the loose puck, but got tied up in front of the net and couldn’t make the shot. However, after they regrouped, Landeksog fed him in the slot and this time the big man didn’t miss. And with 2:17 left in the game, Colorado took a 3-2 lead. Nichushkin followed up with another goal with less than a minute to go.
With 42 seconds left on the board, Dallas pulled Oettinger for the extra attacker. The Stars poured it on at the end of the game, but Blackwood held off the rush. The Avalanche win Game 7 and advance to the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Takeaways
Please score a goal on the power play. That’s all we’re asking.