The Dallas Stars on Thursday built another multi-goal lead against the high-scoring Colorado Avalanche and held on to win 5-3 in Game 2, avoiding another 0-2 hole in the NHL playoffs.
“Found a way to win the game, and that’s the most important thing,” Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said.
Heiskanen scored two power-play goals, while Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists as the Stars leveled the Western Conference second-round series.
Photo: Jerome Miron-USA Today
Tyler Seguin got his first goal this post-season on a short-hander at the end of a three-on-one breakaway for the Stars that put them up 4-0 late in the second period.
Esa Lindell added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left, with Hintz getting his final assist.
Jake Oettinger had 28 saves against a Colorado team who led the NHL in scoring during the regular season and had averaged an NHL-high 5.33 goals in their first six games this post-season.
Joel Kiviranta, Brandon Duhaime and Valeri Nichushkin scored in the third period for the Avalanche, but they failed to score on a power play in the final three minutes that was partly a six-on-four after goaltender Alexander Georgiev skated to the bench.
“Obviously, I think we can handle those situations better, but I think that the silver lining is that we built 3-0 and 4-0 leads, so we’ve played some very good hockey for long stretches against them,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought tonight was better than Game 1. We did most of the things that we wanted to do tonight. Building that lead, the right guys scored, got on the board for us.”
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Artemi Panarin redirected a pass between his legs at the crease to beat Pyotr Kotchetkov in overtime as the New York Rangers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 to take a 3-0 lead in their series.
Panarin scored after Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov lost control of a puck in the corner in the defensive zone. Vincent Trocheck collected it on the right side and sent it toward the crease to Panarin, who tipped the puck behind him as defenseman Jalen Chatfield tried to push him away from the crease.
The puck slipped under the right elbow and past the ribs of Kotchetkov, sending Panarin into celebration and the Rangers soon joining him near the door toward the tunnel off the ice.
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