Colin Blackwell was the surprise hero on Monday night for the Dallas Stars, knocking a knuckling loose puck over the shoulder of Mackenzie Blackwood and under the crossbar at 17:46 of overtime for a crucial 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of their best-of-7 first-round playoff series.
Following Coloradoās 5-1 win on Saturday, the Avalanche nearly nabbed a 2-0 series advantage before heading home for three games in Colorado. Instead, the Stars put together a crucial come-from-behind victory to even the series at one.
Colorado got on the board first, making quick work on their first power play of the night. Nathan MacKinnon took a pass from Cale Makar and, with an abundance of space, ripped a wrist shot by Jake Oettinger.
The Stars got their own power-play goal before the period ended from Tyler Seguin at 19:06, then picked up right where they left out after the first intermission when Thomas Harley put Dallas out front 2-1 at 3:40.
Jack Drury immediately answered with the equalizer only 58 seconds later, and the score stayed tied until the final minute of the period when Logan OāConnor netted a gorgeous backhand goal after back-to-back crucial Colorado penalty kills.
With 20 minutes separating the Avalanche from a 2-0 series lead, they carried their one-goal advantage past the midway point of the period. It didnāt last much longer than that; Evgenii Dadonov scored a gritty goal out front to tie the score at three at 10:13.
It stayed knotted the rest of the way, marking the second overtime game of the night, following the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
The end result could’ve gone either way, but Blackwell sealed the deal to help blow the roof off American Airlines Arena and turn this series into a best-of-5 heading back to Denver.
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Key takeaways from Star’s thrilling overtime win against Avalanche in Game 2
1. Unlikely heroes
Blackwell scored six goals in the regular season, but no one in the Dallas locker room, front office or fanbase cares about that now; the fourth liner came through when it mattered most, potentially saving the Stars season.
It wasnāt like Blackwell was just in the right place at the right time either. HeĀ madeĀ that goal happen. Blackwell skated into the Colorado zone and made a nice move, and fired a shot on net. Blackwood made the save, but the rebound sputtered out in front of him. Staying with the play, Blackwell pounced, split two defensemen, and chipped the puck into the net.
On the losing side, another bottom six forward stepped up. OāConnor, who had two assists in Game 1, added another two points on Monday night.
OāConnor made a beautiful backhanded pass to set Drury up for his goal, then scored a highlight-reel goal of his own.
2. Stellar goaltending
While Blackwellās goal will be what gets remembered most from this game, Blackwood and Oettinger each put on a goaltending clinic.
Blackwood made his postseason debut on Saturday, making 22 saves in Coloradoās 5-1 victory. He played great again on Monday, finishing with 35 saves, including seven in overtime.
Dallas had consecutive power plays to end the second period, presenting a perfect opportunity to take the lead and build on their mounting momentum. Blackwood made multiple stellar saves to keep the game tied, and then the Avalanche took the lead on Druryās goal shortly after.
Oettinger also stepped up his game, making 34 saves and some highlight ones of his own. With Mikko Rantanen in the penalty box for hooking in the waning moments of the third period, Oettinger made a clutch glove save on a great look from Martin Necas to push the game to overtime. He stopped all eight shots he faced in overtime.
Blackwood took his turn to save the game early in overtime, stretching for this unbelievable pad save.
Blackwood eventually conceded the game winner, but it does not detract from his incredible night between the pipes.
3. Weāve got a series!
A loss on Monday night would have put the Stars in a seemingly impossible hole to climb out of. In NHL history, only 22 teams have dropped the first two games at home, then gone on to win a best-of-7 series (22-87, .202 win percentage).
The Avalanche undoubtedly had them on the ropes, holding a lead with less than 10 minutes to play. But the resilient Stars found a way to win and end an eight-game skid (0-6-2) that included a brutal finish to a terrific regular season.
What makes this series so compelling going forward is the goaltenders. The matchup of Colorado and Dallas pitted two high-powered offenses against each other. While neither game has been low-scoring, both Blackwood and Oettinger played great on Monday night. But itās no guarantee theyāll be able to keep the prolific scores on each side off the board.
MacKinnon already has three goals and an assist in this series. On the other side, Rantanen has yet to record a point, but played well in Game 2 and should be revved to return to Colorado and put some hurt on his former team.