Martin Necas has 2 goals to lead the short-handed Avs past the Stars, 3-2

Martin Necas netted two goals, including a 5-on-3 score, as the short-handed Colorado Avalanche edged past the Dallas Stars 3-2 in their series opener on Tuesday night. Artturi Lehkonen added another goal for the Avalanche. Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves despite allowing five goals on Saturday against Toronto. Nathan MacKinnon contributed two assists, bringing his point total to 12.

The Avalanche started the game with 11 forwards and six defensemen, as Zachary L’Heureux was scratched due to an upper-body injury. Colorado played nearly 17 minutes with 10 forwards on the ice when Fedor Svechkov received a two-minute instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting, and 10 more for misconduct. MacKinnon also sat on the bench for over seven minutes in the second period after fighting Roope Hintz and seeking medical attention for a facial injury.

Tyler Seguin and Jake Oettinger scored for the Stars, while Hintz added a goal of his own. Miro Heiskanen provided two assists for the Avalanche. The Avalanche entered the game leading the NHL with 5.2 goals per game, while Dallas boasted a league-best 1.38 goals-against average. Necas gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead early in the second period, extending it with four seconds left in a two-man advantage situation.

Seguin tied the score late in the first period with Dallas' first home power-play goal in eight attempts. Cale Makar, the Avalanche's two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, did not play due to his wife expecting twins. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston missed the game due to illness after playing all 395 games, regular season and playoffs, since joining the team in 2022.

The teams will face off again on Wednesday in Denver, where the Stars won the previous two meetings in shootouts.