The NHL has had some terrific hockey in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
There’s been the high pressure of the Maple Leafs and Senators showdown, the rollercoaster action of the Kings and Oilers battle, the drama of the Panthers and Lightning series and the high-octane competition of the Jets and Blues clash.
The most exciting first-round series of the first round between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche has had all of that in a true heavyweight punch fest, which ends in Saturday’s winner-takes-all Game 7.
In fact, the Stars and Avalanche series has had just about everything. They’ve had high-scoring games, including the Stars’ 6-2 win in Game 5 and the Avalanche’s 7-4 victory in Game 6.
They’ve had thrilling overtime games, including Dallas’ 4-3 win in Game 2 and 2-1 win in Game 3.
They’ve had convincing victories, including Colorado’s 5-1 win in Game 1 and 4-0 win in Game 4. However you’ve liked your hockey, you’ve had a taste of it in this series.
On top of that, you’ve had high drama and then some between the Stars and the Avalanche.
Dallas has pulled out gutsy wins despite not having injured star left winger Jason Robertson and star defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has had some excellent performances and has narrowly outplayed Colorado’s counterpart, Mackenzie Blackwood, who has the lone shutout. You’ve had a Stars team that has overcome losing the first game of the series – and the Avs tying the round in Game 4 – to take multiple series leads.
The Avalanche, meanwhile, have had life-and-death struggles when facing elimination in Game 6.
The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar continue to live up to their superstar status, leading the way despite Colorado being down 2-1 and 3-2 in the series. And you’ve had one of the most bizarre goals ever scored in playoff history, when MacKinnon’s shot in Game 6 came to Stars center Sam Steel, who tried to clear the puck, only to have his clearing attempt go off of Dallas teammate Colin Blackwell and into the net for the game-winning marker.
Last but not least, there have been personal storylines making waves in the hockey world.
Star right winger Mikko Rantanen said in mid-March he never wanted to leave the Avalanche, which traded him in a blockbuster to the Carolina Hurricanes in January. The Stars then traded for him at the trade deadline and signed him to an eight-year contract extension.
Rantanen’s now facing his former team and scored two goals, including a game-winner, and eight points in six games so far. It would be quite a moment for Rantanen if he could send the Avalanche packing in the early stages of his life without them.
Then, of course, you have Gabriel Landeskog.
‘The Best Story In Sports’: The Hockey World Reacts To Gabriel Landeskog’s First NHL Goal In 1,041 DaysColorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog grabbed the headlines with a storied goal against the Dallas Stars in Game 4 on Saturday.
The 32-year-old didn’t know whether he would ever get to play again after trying for three years to recover from a knee injury. The last time he played in the NHL was when he won the Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. As the playoffs approached, he had a trial run in the AHL.
In Game 3, he returned in front of a fan base that couldn’t be prouder, and he threw hits and made an impact in this series with a goal and four points.
At the start of the post-season, many pundits picked the Stars and Avalanche series as the key series to watch. Because of the elite skill and depth on each squad, the winner of this series has a great chance of going all the way. These teams lived up to the hype, creating one of the best first-round showdowns we have ever seen.
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