The Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, 6-2, and head back to Denver with a chance to eliminate the Avalanche in Game 6.
Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, Mikko Rantanen, Mason Marchment, and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves.
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Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche. Mackenzie Blackwood made 13 stops, and Scott Wedgewood made eight saves in relief.
Game Recap
Johnston scored the fastest opening goal in franchise history to open Game 5, scoring nine seconds into the game on a shot from behind the goal line and off of Blackwood to give Dallas the early 1-0 lead.
Harley doubled the lead at 19:15 on a wrist shot that was deflected straight in the air by Blackwood, landing on his back and crossing the red line.
72 seconds into the second period, Rantanen finally scored his long-awaited first goal against his old club and first of the postseason, as he capped off a terrific 2-on-1 pass by Roope Hintz with a snap shot past Blackwood.
The Avalanche finally got one past Oettinger with a redirection by Lehkonen at the top of the crease at 12:11.
MacKinnon cut the lead to 3-2 on a wrist shot from the slot at 14:38.
A little over two minutes later, Johnston scored his second of the game, this time on the power play, after Duchene set him up for a one-timer at the bottom of the left circle.
At 18:32, Dallas’ three-goal lead was restored after Marchment tipped in an Alexander Petrovic shot from the point.
Hintz sealed the 6-2 victory with an empty-netter at 17:55.
The Avalanche outshot the Stars 28-27 and went 0-for-3 on the power play. The Stars went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
Up Next
Game 6 will be in Colorado on Thursday night.
