After a rocky start to the Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup second-round game against the Colorado Avalanche, as they lost the lead in Game 1 and nearly took the lead in Game 2, the Stars faced off in Game 3 on Saturday. I finally put all the pieces together.
With a 4-1 win, Dallas benefited from a burst of scoring opportunities, a star turn from goaltender Jake Oettinger, and most importantly, a penalty kill on lockdown. Now, back at Ball Arena for Game 4, the Stars have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
As the Stars' Stanley Cup quest continues, check out the latest from our writers and photographers below:
End of 1st period, Dallas 1, Colorado 0.
The first period can be boiled down to one statistic. The Stars outscore the Avalanche 15-2. Alexander Georgiev seemed to do wonders to stop the Avalanche, but Dallas was still able to pull in one point during the penalty kill.
The game resumes 4-4 after the break after late penalties from Josh Hanson and Jamie Benn, with the Stars leading 1-0.
Dallas 1, Colorado 0
1st period (4:23 remaining): After winning a faceoff and pushing the puck deep in the Avalanche zone, Wyatt Johnston forced a turnover and collected a rebound from Sam Steele for a short-handed goal.
1st period (4:42 remaining): Now the Stars go to the penalty kill and Logan Stankoven goes for a hook into the box.
1st period (6:33 remaining): The Avalanche survived the Stars' power play largely due to Alexander Georgiev standing tall.
1st period (8:33 remaining): Alexander Georgiev has been making a lot of shots from close range so far, but the Stars will challenge him again on the first power play of the game following a trip call by Caleb Jones.
Pre-match update:
8:30pm: Devon Toews, who normally pairs with Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and Colorado's top defenseman, is a poor choice for Monday night. He is out due to illness, the Avalanche announced.
8:17pm: Colorado's Valeri Nichushkin has been placed in the NHL's Player Assistance Program and will be suspended for six months. He is co-leading in goals in the playoffs, but will miss the remainder of the Stars-Avs series.
Pre-game reading:
— Stars, Avalanche try to maintain 'common sense' in physical game as tensions rise
— Led by Sam Steele and Esa Lindell, the Stars' penalty kill led to a series against Colorado.
— Stars rookie Logan Stankoven broke slump with two goals, but his contributions go deeper
— Jamie Benn's physicality unraveled the Stars last postseason.The mood has been set this year
— FULL COVERAGE: Tyler Seguin and Logan Stankoven both score twice as Stars win crucial Game 3
People to follow on Twitter/X: @Rasimak, @TimCowlishaw, @dmn_stars
Read more of The Dallas Morning News' coverage of the Stars here.