Game Five Recap: Big guns show out—Avs force a game six

The Avalanche aren’t done yet and force a return to Ball Arena.

Colorado came into Dallas to face the Star tonight with their backs against the wall and answered the call. Nathan MacKinnon was notably hard on himself after their game-four loss at home but was excellent in tonight’s game. Add a clutch performance from Georgiev and the Cale Makar we know and love, and you have a recipe for a gusty game-five win.

First Period

We all wanted Colorado to turn the tide early and get the game’s first goal for the first time in this second-round series. Unfortunately, that would not be the case with Avs killer Joe Pavelski netting a goal after a bad turnover from Josh Manson and the company. He had possession of the puck behind the net, but Jason Robertson wanted it more, dispossessed Manson, and found Duchene, who sent it toward Pavelski. 1-0 Dallas.

Colorado would respond with a much-needed powerplay goal from Artturi Lehkonen on a feed from Nathan MacKinnon. Mack pulled the defense toward him to clear Lehky’s one-timer lane and put it past Jake Oettinger. We were tied at one goal apiece. The goal came with just .5 seconds left in the first frame, and the powerplay unit was started on the right foot.

Second Period

Dallas would once again start the scoring in the second period. Lehkonen got a bit lost in his penalty kill coverage in transition, and Pavelski’s stretch pass found Jason Robertson, who broke in on a two-on-one for Dallas. He sent a pass over to Miro Heiskanen, and he cashed in. 2-1 Dallas Stars.

Colorado had answers tonight, and one came in the form of yet another power play tally, this time off of the stick of Cale Makar. Cale got the feed at the point and sent his patented wrist shot into the top corner of the net. We were once again tied.

Third Period

The Colorado Avalanche were 20 minutes away from elimination in a tie game to start the third period, and outside of a few blunders, they sealed the deal. First, Casey Mittlestadt gave Colorado their first regulation lead of the series. The playoff newcomer put Zach Parise’s mid-air chance off Oettinger and in. Finally, it was 3-2 Avalanche.

Then, what appeared to me like a shot pass from Cale Makar somehow snuck through Jake Oettinger’s five-hole. This was a tally that Jake likely will want back, but credit the Avalanche for simplifying things and getting pucks to the net. Things felt a little less stressful as the boys in white and burgundy secured a two-goal lead. That peaceful, easy feeling wouldn’t last long.

Just over a minute later, Colorado fell victim again to another offensive zone turnover. A point shot would be re-directed by Logan Stankoven, and the heart rate went up yet again. 4-3 Avalanche.

The BPMs started to soar with about 12 minutes left when Colorado was tasked with another penalty kill. This time, Dallas got lucky as Dadonov clearly took a dive and duped the refs into a call. Colorado and Alexandar Georgiev would stand tall, thankfully, and get the kill.

Some anxious time would pass with the Avs clinging to their one-goal lead, but Nathan MacKinnon would put his cape back on and seal the deal for Colorado. Artturi Lehkonen worked hard to secure a loose puck in the Dallas end and found a wide-open Nathan MacKinnon, who beat Oettinger. 5-3 good guys.

Mikko Rantanen would go off for an untimely tripping call, but Dallas would also be penalized for too many men amidst a 6-on-4 situation. They did it.

Takeaways

The biggest takeaway for me comes from the performance of Colorado’s top six. We have heard about their shortcomings around the hockey sphere and even from the players themselves following game four, and tonight’s put-up or shut-up elimination game proved to be a proving ground for Colorado’s current core.

Casey Mittelstadt’s goal of giving Colorado their first lead of the series could prove to be the turning point in this series. Let’s hope that this contest is the beginning of an even better and more fulfilling story for the Colorado Avalanche.

There was a weird moment when Mikko was caught with a high stick that clearly drew blood, but only a minor penalty was called. I was under the impression that if there’s blood, it’s automatically a double minor. Color me confused.

Oh, and don’t forget the performance of Alexandar Georgiev. His flurry of saves during Dallas’ third-period man advantage kept his team alive in this series. His impact in this series has been positive, and talks of his deficiencies have all but subsided in round two. He was the better goalie tonight between him and Oettinger. Keep it up, G.

Upcoming

Back to Ball Arena for game six! You have to love it!