The Colorado Avalanche are on the verge of elimination after Monday night’s 6-2 blowout loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas.
Entering the game with momentum after a 4-0 shutout win over the Stars in Game 4 in Denver, the Avalanche immediately found themselves trailing. Dallas scored just nine seconds after the opening puck drop, and it was all downhill from there.
The Avalanche have no choice but to win Game 6 on Wednesday, or their season will end at the hands of the Stars once again.
Avalanche Trailed Early and Often Against the Stars
Just nine seconds after the opening faceoff at center ice, Stars forward Wyatt Johnston retrieved a puck in the corner and fired a sharp-angle shot at the net that somehow got past goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood.
The Stars grabbed momentum right away and made the most of it. Thomas Harley soon increased the lead to 2-0 after his shot was stopped by Blackwood, but popped up into the air, deflected off Blackwood’s back, and went into the net.
Adding insult to injury, former Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen scored for Dallas in the second period, along with goals from MasoDruoun Marchment and a second from Johnston. The Avalanche managed to counter with goals from Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon.
Leading 5-2 late in the third period, the Stars added an insurance tally from Roope Hintz with ex-Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood on the bench. Wedgewood replaced Blackwood after the second period.
3 Avalanche Players Who Missed the Mark in Game 5 Blowout Loss to Stars
#1. MacKenzie Blackwood
One of the unsung heroes for the Avalanche in this series, who helped propel them to a Game 1 victory and a shutout win in Game 4, Blackwood wasn’t on his game Monday night.
Not only did he allow a goal from Johnston just nine seconds into the contest on a shot that never should have made it into the net, but he also misplayed Harley’s shot that bounced off his back and into the cage.
Ultimately, Blackwood allowed five goals on just 18 shots before being replaced by Wedgewood. He finished the game with a subpar .722 save percentage, his first true poor performance of the postseason.
#2. Jonathan Drouin
One of the more underrated forwards on the Avalanche roster, Drouin failed to make any impact for Colorado in the Game 5 loss.
Not only did he fail to contribute anything offensively with zero points, but he also finished with a minus-3 rating, tied for the worst on the team.
If the Avalanche is going to win the next two games and avoid elimination, Drouin will have to step up his play.
#3. Cale Makar
The top Avalanche defenseman, who can take over games with his elite skating and playmaking abilities, has yet to make a significant impact in the series.
So far, he’s registered only two assists in five games — not anywhere close to the kind of output he’s capable of and the Avalanche desperately need at the most crucial time of the year.
In Monday’s Game 5 loss, he finished with a poor minus-3 rating, the lowest among all Avalanche defensemen.
