DENVER — In the Avalanche’s best performance of the season, the team suffered its first loss, falling 5-4 to the Dallas Stars in the shootout on Saturday.
Colorado collected a point in the standings, but letting one slip away wasn’t really the most pressing issue. It was the fact that Dallas beat them again — that Mikko Rantanen sent them home with a loss, and the bragging rights remain with the Stars until the next meeting in March.
“I’d love to never see them again,” head coach Bednar joked after the game.
“I’d love to never see [the Dallas Stars] again.”
— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) October 12, 2025
The Avs fell behind 1-0 despite controlling play for most of the first period. They came out flying in the second period, first getting the game-tying goal from Martin Necas, then getting the lead thanks to Gavin Brindley’s first career goal.
“Tenacious, relentless on pucks, goes to the inside, scores it right at top of the paint,” Bednar said, crediting the young forward.
Dallas didn’t let Colorado escape the second period with a lead. Two goals in 3:02 late in the frame put them ahead 3-2.
But the third started with a tally from Artturi Lehkonen just 34 seconds in. Nathan MacKinnon, who assisted on the goal, and Necas both finished with three points. They were far and away the most noticeable players on the ice.
Dallas got the lead back thanks to a breakaway goal from Wyatt Johnston. But Artturi Lehkonen scored from in the blue paint to force OT.
Neither team was able to capitalize in the five minutes. In the shootout, Jason Robertson and Valeri Nichushkin exchanged goals before Rantanen was the difference.
What Worked
The PP Willed Its Way Through
It really feels like the power play is going to be a story every single game. My goodness, what a rollercoaster of emotions it must’ve felt like for those guys on Saturday.
The Avs had two opportunities in the first period and generated a crazy amount of opportunities. They couldn’t get one past Jake Oettinger. In the second, with Rantanen in the box, they cycled the puck well and genuinely looked great.
But still, nothing.
Then Ilya Lyubushkin gets called for a double minor for high sticking. It’s the third period, it’s 4-3 Dallas. This has to be it, right?
For three minutes, Colorado not only wasn’t generating any shots, but the PP couldn’t even gain the zone. This was the only blemish on their PP the entire night. But after a few line changes, Brent Burns ended up with the top unit. He got the puck through. The rebound shot out to Necas, who moved it to MacKinnon for the one timer.
It took 3:08 on the lengthy opportunity to find the back of the net. But they willed it. They didn’t give up, and it was a big goal in a big moment.
Then MacKinnon said this after the game.
“Guess they gotta boo us more.”
Nathan MacKinnon’s response to the #GoAvsGo power play in the 5-4 SO loss to the #TexasHockey is 💵 ➡️ https://t.co/J3411mhT0k
— Colleen Flynn (@CHNFlynn) October 12, 2025
Gavin Brindley Makes the Most of Ice Time
There’s something to be said about how well Brindley has looked in such limited ice time. For years, we’ve seen rookies get opportunities in the lineup and not stick out all that much. But Brindley has been different.
Many are wondering when we’ll see Zakhar Bardakov. But as long as Brindley’s playing like this, I wouldn’t take him out of the lineup. An opportunity for Bardakov will eventually come.
Kudos to Brindley for scoring a big goal, in a big moment, and getting to celebrate the way he did. It’s too bad they couldn’t win to make it extra special.
What Didn’t
The Ending Nobody Wanted
This was one of those games where you were praying to the hockey Gods for it to end in overtime. I’m not a shootout hater all the time, but games like this deserve to be won off of a goal.
Had Necas scored on that shot in OT, it would’ve blown the roof off of the building. But he didn’t and an exciting game had an anti-climactic ending.
And to make matters worse, having Rantanen be the guy to send the Avs home, again, is probably annoying if you’re the Avalanche or their fan base. As much as you want to move forward from the crazy trades last year, Rantanen is doing his part to keep it top of mind.
Even in a game where he wasn’t much of a factor before the shootout.
