Mikko Rantanen, Stars rebound in big way, chase Mackenzie Blackwood en route to Game 5 win

DALLAS — Just when Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche cracked the door open for a potential comeback Monday night, the Dallas Stars slammed it shut.

And now the Avs are back in the same spot they were a year ago, staring at elimination with Game 6 awaiting at Ball Arena.

Wyatt Johnston scored his first two goals of the series, and old friend Mikko Rantanen added a goal and two assists as the Stars rebounded from their worst game with their best, a 6-2 win in Game 5 at American Airlines Center. Dallas now leads the series 3-2, and has the first of two opportunities to knock Colorado out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in six seasons Thursday night back in Denver.

It looked like one of those nights for the Avs after the Stars built a 3-0 lead just 1:12 into the second period, but the top line dragged Colorado back into the fight. Goals by Artturi Lehkonen and MacKinnon just 2:37 apart left the Avalanche down one goal with 5:22 remaining in the second.

A costly penalty by defenseman Sam Malinski led to a power-play goal, and by the second intermission Dallas had regained its three-goal advantage. Devon Toews’ stick broke during the ensuing penalty kill, and the Stars took full advantage with Johnston’s second goal of the night. Mason Marchment added another with 1:28 left in the period, getting his stick on a knuckling shot from the right point and deflecting it past Blackwood.

Scott Wedgewood replaced Blackwood to start the third period, after the latter allowed five goals on 18 shots in the first 40 minutes. Blackwood entered the day leading the 2025 playoffs in save percentage and second in goals against average.

The Avalanche allowed the two quirkiest goals of the series to dig its first two-goal deficit in the opening period of Game 5.

Stars defenseman Cody Ceci attempted a simple dump-in after Dallas won the opening faceoff of the game, but the puck hit Evgenii Dadonov’s skate and went high in the air. For a brief moment, the only guy on the ice who knew where it was going — into the corner to the left of Mackenzie Blackwood — was Stars center Wyatt Johnston.

He got a headstart on tracking it down, fired it at the net from an awkward angle and it went off the Avalanche goalie and into the net to give Dallas the lead just nine seconds into this contest. It was the first goal of the series for Johnston, one of the top young players in the NHL.

The rest of the first period was a perfectly solid road showing for the visitors. Colorado created a bunch of quality looks. Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger was sharp in net.

Rantanen scored his first career playoff goal not in a Colorado uniform just 1:12 into the second period. Colorado’s second line had a strong shift, creating multiple chances in the Dallas end, but the Stars counter-attacked well, creating a 2-on-1. Roope Hintz was able to get the puck through to Rantanen, who buried the one-timer.

Dallas coach Peter DeBoer challenged his top players through the media the morning of Game 5. The Stars’ stars responded in emphatic fashion.

Now, just as they did leading into Game 4, the Avs have an extra day off to reset after a loss. That was Colorado’s best game of the series.

The Avs have not defeated the Stars in back-to-back playoff contests since Games 5 and 6 in 2020. That is now their only path forward that doesn’t include another early postseason exit and a long summer of hard questions.

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