Dallas drop decision to Avs in Game 5 Dallas heads to Denver digging for a win

In Dallas, the Colorado Avalanche scored three times in the third period to keep their Stanley Cup Playoff second series alive with a 5-3 win. over the Stars

They now head home trailing 3-2 in the series.

Cale Makar hit for a double in the win.

“Do-or-die games from here on out in this series,” Makar said. “You’re playing desperate hockey now. Everybody’s got to play on the edge. You’ve got to fight for every single chance you’re getting now [with] it being an elimination game.”

Game 6 is set for Denver on Friday.
The two teams were tied in the third period when Casey Mittelstadt scored to give the Avs a 3-2 lead at 1:12, scoring from a sharp angle that banked in off a skate.
“I don’t think we’ve had a lead for one second in this series. Finally got one,” the Avs; Nathan MacKinnon said. “Obviously, we wanted one in the first, but that’s a tough goal for them to give up with less than one second left. It was big for us. Tied it up again. Finally got a lead. It was nice to get the lead for once.”Makar collected his double at 4:28 for a 4-2 lead to Colorado. He scored off another deflection on a shot form the right circle.

Dallas got one back on a marker form Logan Stankoven at 5:44 to trim the deficit to 4-3.

MacKinnon then replied for the Avs at 16:50, scoring off a shot from the high slot for the 5-3 final count on the scoreboard.

“We’re trying to close it out so we can move on, however we get it done,”Dallas’ Joe  Pavelski said. “It’s a group that’s going to compete. However it happens, we want to get there and we want to keep advancing. It would’ve been nice, absolutely. But we didn’t get it done. So now we have to go regroup a little bit, look at a few things and go try to win a game.”

Alexandar Georgiev made 23 saves in the win.

“I feel during the regular season and even this playoff we’ve been finding good ways to come back and win games when we’re down in the game,” Georgiev said. “I feel confident in our group. You’ve got to take every game one shift at a time. If we play a full 60, it doesn’t matter if they score first or if we do as long as we play from the start to the end.”

Pavelski staked the Stars to a 1-0 lead near the midway point of the opening stanza, scoring after the Stars forced a turnover in the Colorado zone.

The Avs tied it, 1-1, on  a power play strike by Artturi Lehkonen with just one second left on the period clock.

“We knew we were going to get their best game of the series and we did,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “Their big guys were all on the score sheet tonight, which you probably anticipated would happen. We still are right there in that game. I liked our second period.

“A couple things happened that are really self-inflicted this time of year. It’s really hard to win. One’s a goal at the end of the [first] period. … You’ve got to get out of the period there. Their power play goes 2-for-2 (through two periods). I know we had a penalty there at the end, but that was kind of a moot point. So, tough to win when those type of things aren’t in your favor.”

IN the middle frame, Miro Heiskanen restored the Dallas lead, 2-1, at 11:39, scoring off a power play from low in the left circle.

Makar potted his first of the night at 17:24, off another power play to tie the game, 2-2m headed to the third period.

“I thought we were more connected tonight as a group of five working at the same time instead of one or two guys working and a couple of guys watching,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “[Makar] was outstanding. Creating scoring chances not just for his linemates, but for himself, beating guys 1-on-1.”

Jake Oettinger made 22 saves in the loss.

“[Oettinger]’s probably the mentally toughest guy in this locker room. I know it’s the hardest job in hockey to be a goalie,” Dallas; Jason Robertson said. “He takes a lot of pride in his work. He’s very mentally tough. He’s going to flush it away and get ready for next game.”