The Dallas Stars returned to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to host the Colorado Avalanche in Game 5 on Wednesday night but couldn’t clinch a series win. The Stars fell to the Avalanche 5-3. Dallas holds a 3-2 series lead over Colorado.
Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 24 saves for a win.
The Stars’ starting lineup featured Radek Faksa, Craig Smith, Sam Steel, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Jake Oettinger. Oettinger made 22 saves in a losing effort.
The Avalanche came to play, but the Stars struck first midway through the first period. Joe Pavelski put a backhand shot in the Avalanche’s net for a 1-0 lead at 9:03. Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson collected Pavelski’s first of the playoffs and 74th of his playoff history.
The Stars were hyper-aggressive, but the Avalanche beat the buzzer to wrap up the first period. Ryan Suter was called for holding the stick agaisnt Nathan MacKinnon at 18:32. Artturi Lehkonen blasted a snap shot into the Stars’ net to tie the game 1-1 at 19:59. MacKinnon and Cale Makar collected the assists on Lehkonen’s sixth of the playoffs.
The Stars and Avalanche were tied 1-1 after the first period. Colorado outshot Dallas 9-8 after 20 minutes.
The Stars regained the lead midway through the second period. Devon Toews was called for delaying of the game with a puck over the glass at 11:20. Miro Heiskanen blasted a snap shot into the Avalanche’s net to make it a 2-1 game at 11:39. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski collected the assists on Heiskanen’s fifth of the playoffs.
The Avalanche tied the game late the second period. Chris Tanev was called for high-sticking against Mikko Rantanen at 16:16. Cale Makar fired a wrist shot into the Stars’ net at 17:24. Rantanen and Jonathan Drouin collected the assists on Makar’s fourth of the playoffs.
The Stars and Avalanche were tied 2-2 after two periods. Colorado outshot Dallas 19-15 through 40 minutes.
The Avalanche opened the third-period scoring as Casey Mittelstadt blasted a snap shot into the Stars’ net to make it a 3-2 game at 1:12. Zach Parise and Samuel Girard collected the assists on Mittelstadt’s third of the playoffs.
The Avalanche swiftly took a two-goal lead in the third period. Cale Makar fired a wrist shot into the Stars’ net to extend the Avalanche’s lead to 4-2 at 4:28. Makar’s unassisted goal was his second of the game and fifth of the playoffs.
The Stars made it a one-goal game a little over a minute later in the third period. Logan Stankoven scored on a tip-in shot to pull the Stars within one goal, 4-3, at 5:44. Esa Lindell collected the lone assist on Stankoven’s third of the playoffs.
The Avalanche responded with an insurance goal late in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon fired a wrist shot into the Stars’ net to make it a 5-3 game at 16:50. Artturi Lehkonen collected the lone assist on MacKinnon’s fourth of the playoffs.
The Stars lost to the Avalanche 5-3 after three periods. Shots were tied 27-27 after a full 60 minutes.
Notes
Three Stars of the Game
1. Cale Makar (2 points: 2 goals)
2. Nathan MacKinnon (2 points: 1 goal and 1 assist)
3. Joe Pavelski (2 points: 1 goal and 1 assist)
Dallas Recalls Three Texas Players
The Dallas Stars recalled Mavrik Bourque, Lian Bischel, and Alexander Petrovic from the Texas Stars on Wednesday.
Up Next
The Stars will take on the Avalanche in Game 6 on Friday at TBD.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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