In an electrifying Game 6 at Ball Arena, Matt Duchene etched his name into the annals of hockey history, scoring the game-winning goal at 11:42 of the second overtime to propel the Dallas Stars to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, sealing their passage to the Western Conference Second Round.
Reflecting on his decisive moment, Duchene admitted, “I don't even know what [I did]. I know I ended up on my knees like last time I got one in overtime, but I have no idea, to be honest with you. It's just elation, right?”
The play unfolded amidst a frantic net-front scramble, with Joe Pavelski seizing control of the loose puck and executing a deft backhand pass to Duchene. Positioned just below the right face-off circle, Duchene unleashed a precision shot over a sprawling Alexandar Georgiev, clinching the win for the Stars.
Recalling the pivotal sequence, Pavelski recounted, “From what I remember, it was a little give-and-go. 'Dutchy' made a nice play to me. I got a stick on it. It's just a battle. Caught ‘Dutch’ kind of out of the corner of my eye on the side and just tried to get it out there. For me, you're battling and you know it gets out to him, and I just got an eye on the net. It was nice to see it go in.”
With their dramatic triumph, the Stars now set their sights on the Western Conference Final, propelled by Duchene's heroics and a collective display of resilience and determination.
The Dallas Stars are set to encounter either the Vancouver Canucks or the Edmonton Oilers in the impending Western Conference Final, with Vancouver currently holding a 3-2 lead in the series as they head into Game 6 on Saturday.
This marks Dallas' second consecutive journey to the conference final, having succumbed to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, in six games during the 2023 season.
The Stars were tantalizingly close to clinching victory in the first overtime period, as Mason Marchment appeared to secure the win with a powerful wrist shot from the slot at 12:31. However, the goal was swiftly nullified due to goaltender interference against Duchene, a decision upheld following video review.
Reflecting on the disallowed goal, Marchment expressed his frustration, stating, “It's indescribable. You're so happy and see all the boys hopping over the bench and then I look over and he's kind of waving it off. The explanation that I got was ‘Dutchy’s’ [back side] was over the line. His feet were outside, but his [back side] was over the line. That's the explanation I got. That's hard. That's a momentum swing. Sometimes it can be a huge break for them. I think they maybe did push a little bit after that. We got a good break at the end there, squeaks out to ‘Dutch’ and he scores.”
Despite the setback, Jamie Benn managed to level the score early in the third period, while Jake Oettinger's 29 saves ensured the Stars' resilience. Dallas, the No. 1 seed from the Central Division, demonstrated exemplary character in overcoming formidable challenges, as coach Pete DeBoer praised, “Our team comes in here and wins three road games against the best home team in the NHL. Just fantastic character to be able to do that against that team in this building. What a gauntlet. Colorado was a more rested team after their first round. I just couldn't be prouder of our group. I thought everybody dug deep, and our depth did carry us through. That gave us the spark because we've got a mix of older and younger guys, but they were just fantastic. Just hard to believe with a gauntlet like that that you're only halfway there. But we're going to enjoy and need the time off here, and get ready for the next round.”
Mikko Rantanen found the back of the net for the Avalanche, while Georgiev stood tall with 36 saves, anchoring Colorado's efforts in the crease. The Avalanche, entering the playoffs as the No. 3 seed from the Central Division, displayed resilience throughout the intense matchup.
Reflecting on the exhausting battle, Colorado coach Jared Bednar acknowledged, “It was tiring, there's no question. You can see our energy level drop as the periods went on, but our guys played hard. They played hard every shift and defended hard. They're a really good team. They're disciplined. They're deep. They got great goaltending, [are] well coached. They got everything that you can ask for in a team. They're a contender in my book. It [stinks]. You put so much into a season as a group and you come up short. It's never a good feeling.”
Rantanen ignited the Avalanche's offense, securing a 1-0 lead on the power play at 5:48 of the second period. With a precise wrist shot from below the right circle, Rantanen expertly roofed the puck short side, beating Oettinger over the shoulder to put Colorado on the scoreboard.