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05/18 02:19 CDT Duchene scores winner in 2nd OT, Stars advance to Western
Conference final with 2-1 win over Avs
Duchene scores winner in 2nd OT, Stars advance to Western Conference final with
2-1 win over Avs
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) --- Matt Duchene scored at 11:42 of the second overtime after being
involved in a play that led to a goal disallowed for goaltender interference in
the first extra period, and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference
final with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Friday night.
Duchene, a 2009 draft pick of the Avalanche, secured a loose puck in front of
the net and sent it over a sprawled out Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene took off
down the ice and slid on his knees in celebration.
"(The puck) just popped out to me, and shot it in and then blacked out pretty
much," Duchene said after the game. "I was so tired, I started skating and then
I got tired. I don't even know what I did after that, to be honest with you. I
was pretty pumped up."
In the locker room after the game, the Stars celebrated by blaring an almost
fitting tune --- "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver.
Dallas advances to face either Edmonton or Vancouver next. It's the second
straight trip to the conference final for the Stars, who lost last season to
eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas. The Stars won their only Stanley Cup title
in 1999.
"The dream's still alive," Stars forward Joe Pavelski said.
Jamie Benn tied the game at 1:56 of the third period.
Mason Marchment thought he scored the winner with 7:29 left in the first
overtime but it was waved off for goaltender interference. The play was
reviewed and the call on the ice stood. Duchene was jostling with Cale Makar in
front of Georgiev, leading to a call. The NHL's situation room explained that
Duchene impaired Georgiev's ability to play his position in the crease.
"The explanation that I got was Dutchie's (bottom) was over the line. His feet
were outside but his (bottom) was over the line," Marchment explained. "I think
honestly, they didn't want to make it a deciding goal. ... At the end of the
day, it doesn't really matter. We got the job done. It's awesome."
Jake Oettinger was stellar all night in making 29 saves. One of his biggest was
a close-range shot from Artturi Lehkonen down low midway through the second OT.
"He was fabulous," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said of his goaltender.
This was a series in which the road team won five of six games, including the
Stars taking all three in Denver. The Avalanche were the top home team in the
regular season, while the Stars had the best road record.
Dallas joins Florida and the New York Rangers as teams that closed out a
second-round series in six games. It's just the third postseason to have three
Round 2 matchups decided in six games (1999 and 2004).
It was a difficult end to what was a tumultuous postseason for Colorado, with
Valeri Nichushkin suspended before Game 4 for violating terms of the NHL/NHLPA
player assistance program.
"A devastating result," Makar said of the Game 6 loss. "The year being where we
all feel like we have a team that with all of our pieces can make a push for
the whole thing."
Colorado scored the opening goal of the game for the first time in the series
when Mikko Rantanen sent a wrist shot over Oettinger early in the second period
on a power play.
Makar had an assist to give him 80 career playoff points in 72 games played.
He's the fifth defenseman in NHL history to amass 80 career postseason points
in 80 or fewer games, joining Bobby Orr (66 games), Paul Coffey (67), Brian
Leetch (70) and Al MacInnis (71).
Both team were missing forwards, with Roope Hintz out for Dallas and Yakov
Trenin for Colorado.
"We fought hard," said Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy
finalist who had four goals and 10 assists in the postseason run. "The effort
was there the whole season."
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
