Stars strike back, take series lead with Game 5 win vs. Avalanche

The Dallas Stars put together a comfortable win on Monday night in a pivotal Game 5 against Colorado, taking a 3-2 series lead with a 6-2 win against the Avalanche.

Dallas scored early and often in Game 5, with Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen officially “arriving” on Monday night.

See our full coverage including highlights, analysis, photos and more after the Stars rolled to victory.

Game coverage:

Sports Roundup

— Five thoughts from Stars-Avs Game 5: Dallas strikes quickly, often, to reclaim series lead

— Stars’ Game 5 victory over Avs feels like a breakthrough in a mostly stressful series

— National reaction to Game 5 win: No one can ‘turn it off and on’ like the Dallas Stars

— Watch: Wyatt Johnston scores fastest goal in Stars playoff history in Game 5 vs. Avalanche

Photos

Game 5 fisticuffs: See photos from Stars’ chippy win over Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) hits Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell... View GalleryGame updatesFINAL: Stars 6, Avalanche 2

Dallas will have a chance to close out this first-round series on Thursday.

Third period

2:05 left in the period: The Stars add an empty netter to put this one on ice. Dallas leads 6-2 and can bank on a win-and-advance game in Denver on Thursday.

7:40 left in the period: The scoring pace has slowed in the third with the game still at 5-2. Dallas looks to close this one out and take a series lead back to Colorado.

20:00 left in the period: As Jake Oettinger was in Game 4, Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood has been benched to start the third period. Perhaps for a little extra rest going into Game 6, perhaps because he’s had a rather rough night.

It’s former Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood in for Colorado.

End of second period

The Stars finish the second with a flurry and retain their three-goal advantage into the third period.

Stars 5, Avalanche 2

Just like that, the Stars restore their three-goal lead.

Goal No. 5 of the period goes Dallas’ way as Alexander Petrovic adds another.

Stars 4, Avalanche 2

Wyatt Johnston stops the bleeding for the Stars with his second goal of the game, this time on the power play.

Stars back with some breathing room.

4:00 left in the second: An elbowing call will put Dallas on the power play for two minutes. A chance for the Stars to get back some momentum after two straight Avs goals.

Stars 3, Avalanche 2

Suddenly we’ve got a game. Colorado scores another quick goal to cut Dallas’ lead down to one.

Stars 3, Avalanche 1

Colorado gets on the board with a chip-in goal by Artturi Lehkonen to make it 3-1. Still a lot of time left in Game 5.

9:00 left in the second: Dallas got another power play but was unable to capitalize, keeping things at 3-0.

Meanwhile, it’s starting to get a little chippy as these teams play their fifth game against one another.

Stars 3, Avalanche 0

The Stars start the second period out like they did the first: With a very quick goal.

This time it’s Mikko Rantanen scoring his first-ever playoff goal as a Dallas Star. And it was a beauty.

Dallas Stars fans can only hope that’s the first of many, many playoff goals for Mikko Rantanen in victory green.

— Lia Assimakopoulos (@Lassimak) April 29, 2025

End of first periodStars 2, Avalanche 0

For the time being, Dallas is getting the lucky bounces.

The Stars add another goal with 45 seconds left in the period on a shot that Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood saved… mostly.

Blackwood got a blocker on Thomas Harley’s shot, but popped it up in the air. It bounced off his back and into the net. That’s how a wacky first period ends for Dallas.

6:30 left in the first: After the Stars’ early goal both teams traded successful penalty kills before returning to even strength. Dallas retains its early lead thanks to some slick saves from Jake Oettinger during the Avs’ power play.

Stars 1, Avalanche 0

Well that didn’t take long.

The Stars come flying out of the gates in Game 5 and score nine seconds after the opening faceoff. Wyatt Johnston nets one of the fastest goals in franchise history.

8:20 p.m.: Expected Stars lines for Game 5:

Granlund-Hintz-Rantanen

Marchment-Duchene-Seguin

Benn-Johnston-Dadonov

Bäck-Steel-Blackwell

Lindell-Ceci

Harley-Lyubushkin

Bichsel-Petrovic

Oettinger

5:15 p.m.: The wait continues for Miro Heiskanen.

Pete DeBoer said after Monday’s pregame skate that Dallas’ top defenseman is not ready to get back in the lineup.

Oskar Bäck is in for Game 5. Mavrik Bourque is out.