Miles Wood scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the visiting Colorado Avalanche a 4-3 comeback victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.
Cale Makar scored once in a three-point game while Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon both collected one goal and one assist for the Avalanche, who erased a three-goal, second-period deficit to win their fifth consecutive game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“We were down three, but we didn’t lose faith,” Wood said. “That’s just the courage this group shows. It was a great win for us.
“This is my first year with the Avs, and the first day when I showed up here, you could just feel it, from the guys above and the guys playing here, the staff: They want to win a championship. They’re not content just playing in the playoffs.”
Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves, and Mikko Rantanen registered two assists.
Jamie Benn notched one goal and one assist while Ryan Suter and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots.
The Stars started quickly in overtime only to be held at bay until Wood was sprung for a partial breakaway. He tucked home a backhand deke at 11:03 of the extra period — his third goal of the playoffs and first career overtime tally.
“(Andrew Cogliano) made a great play there, just kind of chipped it through the neutral zone,” Wood said. “(I) just kind of skated on it, and I was just so happy that the puck crossed the goal line. The best part was celebrating with the teammates. They were so happy there, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Colorado stunned the Stars and their faithful fans with an impressive comeback despite trailing by three goals after 17 minutes of action.
The Avalanche found their legs following the first intermission and roared back. Nichushkin cued up the comeback with his league-leading eighth goal of the playoffs, a rebound marker on a power play at 5:31 of the second period.
Nichushkin has scored a goal in all six of Colorado’s playoff games this season. He is only the third player in NHL history to start the playoffs with goals in six or more consecutive games, joining Pat LaFontaine (seven games in 1992) and Martin Havlat (six games in 2006).
Makar added Colorado’s second man-advantage marker at 9:08 of the middle frame by ripping a top-shelf point shot for his third goal of the playoffs.
MacKinnon tied the clash 39 seconds into the third period, cashing in a loose puck after Makar’s long shot was blocked before it reached the net.
The Avalanche came away with their third three-goal comeback win in the postseason in franchise history. They also accomplished the feat in Game 6 of a 1997 conference quarterfinal series and in Game 6 of a 1987 division semifinal series.
“We felt like it wasn’t a 3-0 game,” MacKinnon said on Altitude Network. “We had a lot of good shifts, I thought, and we stayed positive, really upbeat, after the first (period). No negativity. We didn’t know if we could come back, but we wanted to … give ourselves a chance and we did.”
Dallas kicked off its three-goal lead with Suter’s first goal of the playoffs at 7:26 of the opening frame, a long point shot that found the spot through a maze of players screening the goalie.
Johnston’s fifth goal of the playoffs at 10:55 made it 2-0. Off a faceoff win, Johnston ripped a quick shot from the left circle.
Benn made it a 3-0 game with his second tally of the playoffs. While on a power play, Jason Robertson’s point shot ricocheted off the Dallas captain and into the cage at 16:56.
The Stars were playing two days after their Game 7 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in their first-round playoff series.
“It’s a tough turnaround for us as a group,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said. “I thought we had a great start. I thought the fatigue from the Game 7 hit us in the second half of that game. I thought our group rallied though and really made a push in overtime, had some opportunities in overtime.”
–Field Level Media
