Stars–Avalanche (only game of the night)
One fluke goal. Hockey is filled with odd bounces and deflections that can lead to goals of luck and not of skill. The missed glove save by Michael Hutchinson was the only break that the Stars were going to get all night. If you take away the error by Hutchinson, the Avalanche dominated the game from start to finish. They were aggressive throughout the night and showed why they are worthy of playing a game 7 on Friday night.
The response to the early goal was immediate and was able to flip the momentum of the game and possibly the series. Usually, an error like a whiffed save can result in the implosion of a team, less than two minutes after the Stars’ only goal, Nikita Zadorov fired a shot from the point through traffic to tie the score at one as the first ended. It wasn’t that the Avalanche scored rather how they scored, playing aggressive in the Stars zone to force a turnover and the quick shot.
Kale Makar didn’t have the prettiest goal but it continues to prove why he is one of the top rookie players in hockey (and one of the best scoring defensemen in the game). After a shot was stopped in the traffic by the net, Makar found the loose puck and fired it off Khudobin’s face and into the net. Once again, this goal showed how the Avalanche were able to attack and create opportunities, getting traffic in front of the net is one thing but with most shots getting deflected, the second-chances are what win games. Kale Makar’s goal didn’t win the game but gave Colorado a lead that wouldn’t be lost the rest of the game.
With a 2-1 lead entering the final period, the finishing touches happened in style. One of the best goals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs sealed the game and forced game seven. Nathan MacKinnon flicked a saucer pass and before it even touched the ice, Mikko Rantanen fired the puck into the net. Again, the goal resulted from careless play on the Dallas side and aggressive play from the Avalanche, the puck wasn’t cleared out of the Dallas zone and resulted in an immediate opportunity. With Colorado controlling most of the game and now boasting a 3-1 cushion, game seven felt like only a matter of time. By the time MacKinnon hit the empty-netter, the game was all but over.
I can’t understand what happened to the Dallas Stars. They were cruising through the series in the first 4 games and looked destined to play in the Conference Final. Now the Stars offense has gone flat and they have lost all momentum. I don’t know where the Stars can go from here, I don’t know who should start in net, I don’t know what line changes are needed, I just know that action needs to happen and the Stars might be another team to fall victim of the 3-1 lead. It should be an exciting game 7 on Friday night regardless and might be one that comes down to the wire.
