Avalanche Outlast Stars in Wild 5-4 Shootout After Dramatic Late Rally

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout on Friday, March 6, 2026, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, following a thrilling comeback.

First Period Fireworks

The game began with a quick pace, as Cale Makar opened the scoring for the Avalanche with a power-play goal. But, the Stars responded swiftly with a power-play goal of their own from Miro Heiskanen. Wyatt Johnston and Justin Hryckowian then extended Dallas’ lead to 3-2 before Nathan MacKinnon scored with just one second remaining in the first period to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Stars Extend Lead, Goalie Change

Jamie Benn increased the Stars’ advantage to 4-2 in the second period, prompting Colorado to replace starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood with Scott Wedgewood. Martin Nečas then scored his 28th goal of the season, narrowing the gap to 4-3.

Avalanche Complete Comeback and Win in Shootout

Valerij Ničuškin completed the Avalanche’s comeback, scoring the tying goal with 13 seconds left in the third period. Both Nečas and Ničuškin then scored in the shootout, mirroring a move reminiscent of Peter Forsberg, to secure the 5-4 victory for Colorado.

Nečas’ Standout Performance

Martin Nečas played a pivotal role in the Avalanche’s victory, logging 26 minutes and 55 seconds of ice time. He improved his season point total to 76 (28 goals and 48 assists), placing him sixth in league scoring and holding a four-point lead over David Pastrňák among Czech players. In his 499th NHL game, Nečas surpassed the 400-point mark, becoming the 31st most productive Czech player in NHL history.

Impact on Standings

The win marked the Avalanche’s fourth consecutive victory and ended the Stars’ ten-game winning streak. Nathan MacKinnon emphasized the importance of the win for playoff positioning, stating, “We wish to win the conference and the division so we can have home field advantage during the playoffs, so today’s win is huge for us.”

Other NHL Scores from March 6, 2026

• Detroit 1 – Florida 3
• Chicago 3 – Vancouver 6 (Filip Hronk assisted on a goal)
• Edmonton 3 – Carolina 6
• Anaheim 6 – Montreal 5 (OT) (Lukáš Dostál made 23 saves)
• Vegas 2 – Minnesota 4
• San Jose 2 – St. Louis 3 (OT)

Source: Yahoo Sports, The Picks