Avs-Stars Game 5 Quick Hits: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar came through when Avalanche needed it most
Denver Post
Instant reaction from the Avalanche’s 5-3 win at Dallas in Game 5 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series.
1. MacKinnon, Makar come through: What was it Michael Malone reminded us? Never underestimate the heart of a champion — even if that champion is 23 months removed from its last parade. The Avs go as its three Hall-of-Famers go, and those three pillars — Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar — felt as if they were gone from this series after Game 1. Fortunately for Avs fans, Colorado’s Big 3 came up huge in Game 5. MacKinnon’s wrister past Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger with 3:10 left in the game sealed the victory, while Makar’s two goals rallied the Avs from a 2-1 deficit midway through the second stanza. It’s not rocket science: If Colorado is to record a historic series comeback after being down 3-1 to the Stars, their superstars are going to have to keep doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
2. Not Pavelski again: Even more than the Timberwolves were built to flummox the Nuggets, the Stars were designed to fluster the Avs. Dallas coach Pete DeBoer has a muck-it-up, smothering defensive style that’s sent a Jared Bednar team home twice in the last five years. And Stars forward Joe Pavelski is one of the NHL’s great postseason Colorado killjoys. His first-period goal Wednesday was his ninth all-time versus the Avs in the playoffs and his two points through the first 45 minutes give him 17 all-time against Colorado in the postseason. The former Wisconsin Badgers star has netted 12% of his career Stanley Cup Playoffs goals versus the burgundy and blue.
3. Streaks ending, hope beginning?: If you had the Avs buried and gone over the opening 12 minutes of the first period, join the club. The desperation of being down 3-1 in the series and facing elimination appeared to kick in roughly halfway through the opening stanza. Colorado finished the period with a flourish, and Artturi Lehkonen’s buzzer-beating power-play goal off a wrister was huge on three fronts. First, it got the Avs to the locker room with a 1-1 score and some momentum. Second, it was Colorado’s first power play score in the series since Game 1, when the Avs notched two. Third, it was the Avs’ first goal in the first period all series. Dallas was outscoring Colorado 7-0 in the opening stanza until Lehkonen got on the board.
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