Avalanche Force Game 7 Against Dallas Stars

The Colorado Avalanche forced a Game 7 in their playoff series against the Dallas Stars with a 7-4 win in Game 6, highlighted by two goals from Valeri Nichushkin and a pivotal go-ahead goal credited to Nathan MacKinnon. Despite falling behind early, Dallas responded with a four-goal second period, featuring historic four-point periods from both Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado outshot Dallas 48-26 and sealed the victory with two empty-net goals. Game 7 will take place Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, where Stars coach Pete DeBoer is undefeated in Game 7s, while the Avalanche have lost their last six such games. The series winner will move on to the Western Conference Second Round to face either the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues. Key injuries include Colorado's Ross Colton, while Gabriel Landeskog has returned, and Dallas continues to look for an offensive surge from Matt Duchene.