Colorado Avalanche shut down Mikko Rantanen and Dallas Stars, take Game 1

The Colorado Avalanche shut down the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center. While the Avalanche’s win was not surprising, the 5-1 score was.

Early indication pointed toward a tight-scoring series. But that wasn’t the case in Game 1. The Avs built a 3-1 lead in the third period, leading to two empty-netters to seal the deal.

Nathan MacKinnon led the way with two goals, with Artturi Lekhonen and his soccer-style goal opening the scoring. Check them out here. Devon Toews and Charlie Coyle had the others. Lehkonen opened the scoring in the second, followed by MacKinnon scoring on the power play.

Those two goals put the Avalanche up 2-0 after 40 minutes. Then, the Stars cut the lead in half on Roope Hintz’s power play goal. The game looked like it would come down to the wire. But then, Devon Toews scored this beauty.

Here it is:

Toews’ goal was a back-breaker. It forced the Stars to pull the goalie earlier than expected, allowing the Avs to tack on two more. But bear in mind the game was much closer than the 5-1 score would suggest. The Avs struggled to get through in the first period, eventually wearing down the Stars.

Check out the empty-netters:

The Stars, for their part, didn’t do themselves any favors by allowing MacKinnon and Makar to run amok. Dallas didn’t seem to have an answer for the Avalanche’s dynamic duo. All told, Dallas did exactly what they shouldn’t have, and let MacKinnon run the show.

Blackwood, Avs’ D shut down Stars offense

The Avalanche’s defense did a fantastic job of shutting down the Stars’ offense. MacKenzie Blackwood laid any concerns surrounding his lack of playoff experience to bed. Blackwood was sensational, especially in the third period, as Colorado clung to a one-goal lead.

Josh Manson and Samuel Girard were welcome additions, with Erik Johnson defying Father Time with a solid performance in the back end.

But the stars of the show were Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Makar had an assist while wreaking havoc on the ice. Toews scored a great goal, further adding to the Stars’ misery.

Incidentally, Mikko Rantanen went scoreless in over 18 minutes of ice time, ending the night a minus-2. Rantanen skated on the third line but was largely inconsequential on the night.

The Avalanche had a great playoff opener. They fired on all cylinders, showing that they are the team to beat in the Western Conference. However, the Avalanche must not let their guard down. Game 2 will be just as important as Saturday night’s tilt.

Guaranteeing a split in Dallas was crucial. But heading home with a 2-0 lead will be even better. If Game 1 is any indication, this series could be over sooner than any of us expected.