Miles Wood scored the overtime winning goal to give the visiting Colorado Avalanche a 4-3 comeback victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday.
Cale Makar scored once in a three-point game, while Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon both collected one goal and one assist for the Avalanche, who erased a three-goal, first-period deficit to win their fifth consecutive game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves, and Mikko Rantanen registered two assists.
Jamie Benn notched one goal and one assist while Ryan Suter and Wyatt Johnston also tallied for the Stars. Goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots.
The Stars started quickly in overtime only to be held at bay until Wood was sprung for a partial breakaway. He tucked home a backhand deke for his third goal of the playoffs and first career overtime tally at 11:03 of the extra period.
Colorado stunned the Stars and their faithful with an impressive comeback despite trailing by three goals after 17 minutes.
The Avalanche found their legs following the first intermission and roared back. Nichushkin cued up the comeback with his league-leading eighth goal of the playoffs, a rebound marker on a power play at 5:31 of the second period.
Nichushkin has scored a goal in all six of Colorado’s playoff games this season. He is only the third player in NHL history to start the playoffs with goals in six or more consecutive games, joining Pat LaFontaine (seven games in 1992) and Martin Havlat (six games in 2006).
Makar added Colorado’s second man-advantage marker at 9:08 of the middle frame by ripping a top-shelf point shot for his third of the playoffs.
MacKinnon tied the clash 39 seconds into the third period, cashing in a loose puck when Makar’s long shot was blocked before it reached the net.
Dallas kicked off its three-goal lead with Suter’s first goal of the playoffs at 7:26 of the opening frame, a long point shot that found the spot through a maze of players screening the goalie.
Johnston’s fifth of the playoffs at 10:55 made it 2-0. Off a faceoff win, Johnston ripped a quick shot from the left circle.
Benn made it a 3-0 game with his second tally of the playoffs. While on a power play, Jason Robertson’s point shot ricocheted off the Dallas captain and into the cage at 16:56.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT) in Dallas.