DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche were in a do or die situation on Thursday for Game Six against the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche came into the game down in the series 3–2 and would have to win in order to stay alive. Some lucky bounces finally went Colorado’s way as they secured the 7–4 victory to force Game Seven in Dallas on Saturday.

First Period.

The first period started out agonizingly slow, with five stoppages in the first minute alone. Colorado played a little sloppy to start the period, leading the passes too far ahead. But the second line stepped up with about 13 minutes left in the period. Devon Toews led the exit out of the zone with a pass to Gabriel Landeskog in the neutral zone. The captain ran the puck into the zone and dumped it off to Brock Nelson at the point who sent it right over to Valeri Nichushkin on the opposite point. Nichushkin snapped a shot, and it hit Ilya Lyubushkin’s foot and into the net.

Colorado kept the pressure on through the entire period, throwing shots and players on the net. With just under two minutes left in the period, the Avalanche would strike again. Martin Necas drew the puck to the front of the net, but saw Cale Makar pinching down the slot. Makar took the one-timer shot, and the puck rolled away from his stick to Artturi Lehkonen. The Finn tapped the puck in to a nearly empty net and took a 2–0 lead.

Second Period

The second period did not start as great as the first did. Fifty-five seconds into the period, Nelson tripped up Mikael Granlund, putting the Avs on the penalty kill. It took only 22 seconds for the Stars to work with the man advantage. Former Avalanche Mikko Rantanen was setup below the goal line waiting for a pass from Wyatt Johnston. Rantanen tossed it across the crease over to Roope Hintz to break the ice.


Not even three minutes later, Rantanen hit Granlund in stride in the middle of the ice. Granlund made his way past Makar with ease and sent it past Mackenzie Blackwood to tie the game at two.

Less than a minute after Granlund’s goal, Makar would help answer back. The Norris candidate carried the puck around the back of the net all the way to the top of the right circle. Martin Necas rolled down the opposite side and Makar nailed Necas on his stick for the tap in and 3–2 lead.

Dallas’ work remained unfinished. Hintz and Rantanen would set each other up for goals later in the period. Both forwards would end the period with four points apiece, a feat never accomplished by multiple NHL players as Dallas took 4–3 lead into the intermission.

Third Period

Things were not looking too great for the Avalanche heading into the third period. Colorado finished up a power play, which they did not convert on. But it gave them a bit of momentum. Six minutes into the period, Landeskog carried it into int to the zone and shot from the left point. He shot for the rebound as Nichushkin crashed and gathered the rebound to tie the game once again.

Three minutes later, the puck finally bounced Colorado’s way. Nathan MacKinnon pushed his way down the left side of the Dallas zone. He tried to center, but the puck bounced off of defenders’ feet. Lyubushkin tried to clear it but threw the puck off of Colin Blackwell’ shoulder and right past Jake Oettinger for the 5–4 lead.

Empty net goals from Josh Manson and Cale Makar put the Stars to bed and win 7–4.

Observations from the Mountaintop

Colorado started out great. They played their best period of hockey in the first since Game Four, actually. Things opened up in the second period and that is where the problems began. Colorado had trouble shutting down the neutral zone, allowing several breakaways in the period and four goals.

Defense still continues to show some gaps. They were having trouble pushing Dallas out past the dots and allowed too many opportunities in the slot. They left the backdoor wide open in several cases, leaving Blackwood in a scramble to cover. In Game Seven, the Avalanche will have to be on their best game with since Pete DeBoer has an 8–0 record in game sevens.

Next Game

The Avalanche will travel to Dallas and play the Stars for Game Seven on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT on ABC.