05/01/25 11:50:00
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05/01 23:48 CDT MacKinnon gets credit for fluky go-ahead goal as Avs tie series
with 7-4 win over Stars in Game 6
MacKinnon gets credit for fluky go-ahead goal as Avs tie series with 7-4 win
over Stars in Game 6
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) --- Nathan MacKinnon got credit for a go-ahead goal with 10:56
remaining after the puck bounced off the shoulder of a Dallas player and the
Colorado Avalanche staved off elimination by beating the Stars 7-4 in Game 6 on
Thursday night.
The first-round playoff series heads to Dallas for Game 7 on Saturday.
On the winning goal, MacKinnon sent a pass into traffic in front of the net
that Sam Steel tried to clear. But it hit the shoulder of Colin Blackwell and
caromed toward the net. Goaltender Jake Oettinger couldn't corral the
fluttering puck with his glove.
Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, including the tying tally with 13:58 remaining,
for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas also added goals, while Josh
Manson and Cale Makar scored into an empty net.
Makar, MacKinnon, Brock Nelson and captain Gabriel Landeskog each added two
assists. Mackenzie Blackwood made 22 saves to send the first-round playoff
series back to Dallas.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer is 8-0 all-time in Game 7s, while the Avalanche have
lost the last six times they've been in a decisive seventh game of a series.
Colorado avoided having its season end at the hands of Dallas in a Game 6 at
home for a second straight postseason. Stars forward and former Avalanche
player Matt Duchene ended the second-round series a year ago in double overtime.
Trailing 2-0, the Stars erupted with a four-goal second period led by Roope
Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. Hintz had two goals and two assists, while Rantanen
added a goal and three assists against his former team. The Finnish standouts
are the first pair of teammates in league history to each record four points in
a playoff period, according to NHL Stats.
Mikael Granlund, another Finnish player, also scored in the pivotal period.
Oettinger turned back 41 shots on a night the Avalanche outshot the Stars by a
48-26 margin.
There was a scary moment in the second period when Stars defenseman Lian
Bichsel lost an edge and slid into the boards with Jack Drury on his back.
Bichsel stayed down for a moment before being helped to the bench. Bichsel
returned in the third period.
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and
https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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