April 20th, 2025, 12:01am
DALLAS – Nathan McKinnon joined both Colorado’s odd goals in the second season as an avalanche defeated the Dallas Star 5-1 in the opening game of the first round of the Western Conference Playoff Series on Saturday.
McKinnon scored on a shot that deflected Stars defensive man Ilya Lubshkin, and previously hit goalkeeper Jake Ottinger in the second half of the second term. It came during an expanded power play. He was a double minor to the star after having a high stick in his face.
It came after an assist from McKinnon mid-term in the second term with the goal of Artturi Lehkonen, who was lying down after his first shot as the puck bounced back into the upper corner of the net, then crashing in front of the net, then falling after his first shot. The play was reviewed, and officials ruled that the movement by Rekkonen would not be kicked while rolling into the ice with Mabrick Bourk.
“He was really good tonight,” Avalanche coach Jared Bedner said. “As you know, they’re obviously going to hold the key to him – like we’re some of their players – but a really strong defensive game from him. And obviously, he’s up on his offensive side, he’s playing all night. I thought the line was dangerous.”
The Stars have not been able to do much on any of these goals since 2022 as they lost Game 1 in their eighth consecutive series in the NHL playoffs. Deboer saw progress and was called “the best game I’ve played in three or four weeks” on Saturday night.
Devon Toos gave Colorado a 3-1 lead with 7:04 left. McKinnon’s empty net tally of his 50th career playoff goal came with the rest of 3:08, 11 seconds before Charlie Coyle scored.
The opening loss of this series came after finishing the regular season with a 0-5-2 stretch, including four losses at home, after becoming 28-5-3 before that.
Game 2 is a Monday night in Dallas before the series moved to Denver.
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots in his first career playoff game.
Blackwood said.
Blackwood was one of 11 players to see action since it was acquired through eight in-season deals in Colorado. These transactions included Micco Lantanen, an avalanche deal with East Carolina on January 24th. He only played 13 games before the March 7 deadline contract, sending him back to the Central Division with the stars, including an eight-year, $96 million contract extension.
Having 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists) in 81 playoff games for the avalanche, Lantanen scored three shots and a block in 18 minutes in his postseason debut.
Oettinger had 19 saves. When Colorado had the advantage of two in the first period, Cale Makar was only 36 seconds apart from each other for the two stumbling penalties.
Penalized against McKinnon, Loop Hintz trimmed the star deficit to 2-1 just before the end of the power play, leaving DeBoe with 13:15 left in the game.
Bednar won the 50th playoffs in the AVS. It’s the 82nd postseason game, comparable to a complete regular season. It defeated the tie with Bob Hartley in the most wins by coaches in franchise history. Both won Bednar in 2022 and Hartley in 2001.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
