Avalanche Game 39 Recap: Hey Now, You're an All-Star!

The Colorado Avalanche are coming off the team's first overtime win of the season; a 5-4 comeback win over the New York Islanders. Colorado has won three straight games, and regarding game #39, it's a trip to Dallas to face off against the Stars. The Avs' last visit to Dallas ended with Colorado winning 6-3 after trailing 3-0 in the second period. This is an important game, as Dallas is in the thick of the Central Division race.

Alexandar Georgiev was in net against Scott Wedgewood, and unfortunately for the Avs, the Stars struck first in the opening frame's midpoint. Evgenii Dadonov made it 1-0 for the Stars, but shortly afterwards, Nathan MacKinnon tied it up, and that was the score after 20 minutes. The second period was a wild one that saw Tyler Seguin strike 88 seconds in to make it 2-1. Dallas received a double-minor power play, it cashed in, and of course, it's Joe Pavelski. I'm serious, I have to be one of the very few Avs fans who actually likes Pavelski. The man has plagued us so many times when it counts, but I liked the guy when he was with the Sharks, and I watched him represent the US in the Winter Games, and that's important to me as well.

So it was 3-1 Dallas, and they were pressing for more. Dallas did not want a repeat of the first meeting, so they were looking to get as many as possible. However, at the near end of the period, the Avs received a power play, and with 12 seconds left, Jonathan Drouin made it a one goal game. 3-2 was the score in favor of Dallas after 40, and the 3rd period saw the Avs really press for the tie. That momentum was temporarily halted when Seguin scored his second of the game, but 38 seconds later, Drouin said, "Hold my beer," and scored his second of the game. So it was a one goal game again, but as time continued to press on, the Avs were having a hard time getting that tie. Georgiev was pulled for the extra attacker, and with 1:09 left, after an insane scramble in front of Wedgewood, the game was tied! Originally believed to be Logan O'Connor's goal, it was actually Mikko Rantanen's 20th goal of the season, and we have overtime for the second straight game.

Seriously, don't you just love those game-tying extra attacker/pull the goalie goals? I've seen a lot of them and I am always amazed. They're always scored late in the game, obviously because the goalie's pulled with about 2-3 minutes left. I've seen those goals scored with over a minute left. I've seen them scored with 30 seconds left. I've even seen them beat the buzzer. Unless I'm wrong, this one was the Avs' first such goal of the season. So overtime saw the Avs control the puck, then Dallas had it and Matt Duchene came close to winning it. Jason Robertson also came close to winning it. However, on a two-on-zero breakaway, Nathan MacKinnon struck again!

The Avalanche won, 5-4, in overtime. In two games played in the 2024 calendar year, the Avs have not had a lead, yet we're 2-0 this year. Another three point night for Nathan MacKinnon; part of a big night, as he was named as one of the first 32 All-Stars for this year's outing, which will take place in Toronto. MacKinnon is now tied with Nikita Kucherov for the league lead in points, but Kucherov's listed higher because he has more goals. Even so, the man's kicking ass. He's not only on his way to his second straight 100-point season, he is on pace to totally obliterate his career high of 111 from last year. I just have seven short words: Put his name on the Hart Trophy!

The Avs will be at home for the next three games, which would put our season past the halfway point. The mini-homestand begins on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, the first meeting between the two clubs.

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