Avalanche rally for an incredible Game 6 win over Dallas to save their season

DENVER — Just when it looked like the Colorado Avalanche were going to lose another ridiculously frustrating contest to the Dallas Stars, it didn’t happen.

The Avs rallied for an incredible 7-4 win in Game 6 on Thursday night at Ball Arena, sending this series back to Texas tied three games apiece with a Game 7 awaiting on Saturday.

Down 4-3 entering the third after a wild second period, forward Valeri Nichushkin tied things up with 14 minutes to go on a greasy goal. Nichushkin controlled the puck off a Gabriel Landeskog shot, kicked the puck to himself and tipped it home to tie things 4-4.

Then, the puck luck went the Avalanche’s way for a massive go-ahead tally. Nathan MacKinnon was the last one from Colorado to touch this thing, but it literally went off Dallas center Colin Blackwell and got behind Stars goalie Jake Oettinger.

In a series there the Avs haven’t had much good fortune, this was obviously a massive moment.

SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY IT BOUNCES IN AND THE AVS TAKE THE LEAD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1t4KW8HlW7

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 2, 2025

Empty-net goals from Josh Manson and Cale Makar in the final 76 seconds sealed the deal. Makar also chipped in a pair of assists.

And while the story of the night is Colorado’s comeback, it was almost all about old friend Mikko Rantanen nearly burying them.

Rantanen had an unreal second period, putting four points on the board in 20 minutes. The Stars were down 2-0 and 3-2, but Rantanen managed three straight assists to help Dallas make it 2-2 and eventually 3-3.

Then, with fewer than two minutes to go in the frame, Rantanen beat Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to give the Stars their first lead of the night at 4-3. Blackwood had an absolutely awful period, giving up four goals on just nine shots.

Mikko Rantanen puts the Stars ahead, 4-3 🥲#GoAvsGo

pic.twitter.com/5nN8JCZE78

— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) May 2, 2025

The only goal for Colorado in the second period came from Martin Necas, who was ironically traded for Rantanen back in January. Rantanen played only 13 games for the Carolina Hurricanes before he was moved to the Stars right before the NHL trade deadline.

The second period was frustrating for the Avalanche, as both Necas and Manson hit iron, and Oettinger stood on his head like he did most of this series.

The Avalanche did get two goals in the first period that both had an element of puck luck as well, but no one was complaining after what happened in Dallas in Game 5.

Nichushkin, who had just one goal through the first five games, delivered after his shot hit two Stars players and ended in up the back of the net. Colorado turned it on from there, dominating the rest of the frame and outshooting Dallas 20-10.

In the final two minutes of the period, Makar whiffed on a shot attempt, but it worked out perfectly. The puck ended up on the stick of Artturi Lehkonen who had plenty of goal to work with it to make it 2-0.

If it weren’t for Oettinger, the Avalanche could’ve been up 4-0 or 5-0 after the first, but he made several good saves just like he did in Game 4 to keep his team in it. And that was enough to give the Stars a 4-3 lead entering the final 20 minutes, when it could’ve been the Avs with a two-goal or three-goal lead.

But Colorado showed an insane amount of resiliency. When it would’ve been easy to quit after what Rantanen and Oettinger did to them in the second period, they rallied.

Superstars like Nichushkin and MacKinnon showed up at the biggest moment of the season, Blackwood rebounded after a forgettable frame, and the Stanley Cup dream is still alive.

Win just one more game and Round 2 of the Western Conference playoffs await. Then, who knows what can happen?

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