Blackwood Makes 23 Saves in First-Career Stanley Cup Playoff Game
Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals including the game-winning tally as the Avalanche defeated the Dallas Stars 5-1 in Game One of the First Round on Saturday at American Airlines Center. Along with MacKinnon’s goals, Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews and Charlie Coyle each scored for Colorado. In his first-career Stanley Cup Playoff game, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced in net for the Avs.
“I thought we did a nice job,” Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said when asked about creating chances on offense. “We got to some rebounds, we created some good looks both off the rush and [at] five-on-five in the zone. It’s a tight-checking game. It’s highly competitive in every battle [and] every race.”
With the win, Bednar set the franchise record for postseason wins by a head coach with 50.
Lehkonen opened the scoring at 9:30 of the second period with his first goal of the playoffs when the rebound from his right-circle shot deflected into the net.
“He’s such a big-game player and competitive player,” Bednar said about Lehkonen. “If he wasn’t getting any scoring chances, then that’s a different story, but he’s been racking up scoring chances on a nightly basis and it’s a matter of time for him. And he seems to come through in big moments all the time and tonight was no different to get that first one.”
Artturi Lehkonen's playoff magic has been activated 🪄#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/8Er7hPYWdu
MacKinnon doubled Colorado’s lead on the power play at 16:38 of the second period with his first goal of the playoffs via a left-circle shot that was a knuckle puck.
The Dogg doing what the Dogg does.#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/DviPhcES2G
Roope Hintz put Dallas on the board on the power play at 6:45 of the third period via a net-front deflection.
The Avs regained their two-goal lead at 12:56 of the third period when Toews scored his first tally of the playoffs via a redirect from the left doorstep set up by Josh Manson’s feed off the rush.
Defenseman to a net front tip on a rush to…a defenseman 👏#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/XFPEAx80MT
MacKinnon gave the Avs a 4-1 lead with his second goal of the game and 50th-career playoff tally when he scored on an empty net at 16:52 of the third period.
At 17:03 of the third period, Coyle scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Avs up 5-1 via a shot from the doorstep set up by Jack Drury’s feed.
Putting the biscuit in the basket.#GoAvsGo | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/u7YkNs0vhS
The Avalanche will stay in Dallas and face the Stars in Game Two of the First Round on Monday at 7:30 p.m. MT on Altitude2, Altitude+, ESPN, SN360 and TVAS-D.
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