DENVER — In an impressive offensive display, the Colorado Avalanche triumphed over the Dallas Stars with a 6-3 victory on Saturday. Artturi Lehkonen shone brightly, netting two goals and providing two assists. Cale Makar also contributed significantly with two goals of his own, helping solidify the Avalanche’s commanding performance. Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt added a goal and two assists each, while Josh Manson assisted on two goals. Colorado’s goaltender, Scott Wedgewood, made 26 saves to support the team’s defense.
On the other side, the Stars saw Jason Robertson score two goals and add an assist, while Matt Duchene contributed another goal. Wyatt Johnson showcased his playmaking ability with three assists, and Casey DeSmith, in net for Dallas, registered 30 saves during the match.
Duchene was first to light the lamp, scoring at just 3:24 into the game, marking his 18th goal of the season on Dallas’ opening shot. The Avalanche responded when Mittelstadt found the back of the net with 6:53 remaining in the first period, leveling the score. Makar then put Colorado ahead with a milestone goal midway through the second, marking his 100th career goal and making him the fifth-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach this mark in just 362 games.
Lehkonen increased the lead with his first goal shortly after, and with just 1:30 left in the second period, Drouin added to the tally, scoring his 100th career goal to push the score to 4-1. The Avalanche extended their advantage in the third period when Lehkonen scored again at the 8:13 mark. However, Robertson quickly responded for the Stars, scoring twice within 39 seconds, narrowing the gap to 5-3 with just under eight minutes remaining.
In terms of takeaways, the Avalanche improved their record to 10-3-1 over their last 14 games and moved into a tie with the Stars for third place in the Central Division. Conversely, Dallas faced its third loss in four games after a strong seven-game winning streak.
A pivotal moment occurred late in the second period when the Stars thought they had pulled within one goal thanks to Mat?j Blümel. However, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar challenged the play, leading officials to overturn the goal due to an offside call. Drouin then capitalized by scoring shortly after, re-establishing a solid lead for Colorado.
In the key statistical note, both teams combined to score on three out of seven power-play chances. Dallas entered the matchup leading the league in power-play kills, followed closely by Colorado.
Looking ahead, the Avalanche will host the Minnesota Wild on Monday, while the Stars will welcome the Detroit Red Wings to their arena on Sunday.
