The Dallas Stars were defeated 4-3 by the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the second round of the NHL Playoffs, putting them behind 1-0 in the series once again.
The Stars began strong with multiple goals in the first period, but struggled to continue their offensive momentum in the second and third periods. They allowed the Avalanche to equalize before ultimately losing in overtime.
Dallas took the lead in the series when defenseman Ryan Suter scored with an assist from center Matt Duchene, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead with 12:34 remaining in the first period.
The Stars furthered their lead with a goal from center Wyatt Johnston, who scored with assists from right wing Joe Pavelski and left wing Jamie Benn, putting the puck past Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev.
This goal gave the Stars a solid 2-0 lead with 9:05 remaining in the quarter, with the two scores coming on just five shots on goal during the opening portion of the game.
Dallas quickly got a chance to score another goal, as several Avalanche players were sent to the penalty box.
Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen was penalized for tripping Stars right wing Evgenii Dadonov, while Avalanche center Yakov Trenin received a penalty for high-sticking Stars left wing Jason Robertson.
The Stars capitalized on this opportunity, as Benn scored less than two minutes later with assists from Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen, giving them a 3-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Dallas played a more physical game in the second period, but it resulted in Dadonov being penalized for slashing Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin.
Colorado took advantage of this, scoring just 13 seconds later when Nichushkin put a shot past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, bringing the score to 3-1 with 14:29 left in the period.
The Avalanche had another opportunity after a penalty on Stars right wing Craig Smith, who was penalized for hooking Colorado defenseman Cale Makar.
Once again, the Avalanche scored during this advantage, as Makar reduced the Stars' lead to 3-2 with assists from Nichushkin and right wing Rantanen with 10:52 remaining in the period.
The two teams continued to play evenly for the remainder of the period, which ended with the Stars holding onto their 3-2 lead.
Colorado tied the game less than a minute into the final period with an unassisted goal by center Nathan MacKinnon with 19:21 remaining.
The next 15 minutes featured no goals, with both teams focusing on defense and preventing the other from gaining an advantage.
A save by Oettinger kept the puck out of the goal with just 1:04 left in regulation, and the third period ended with the teams tied 3-3.
The overtime period began with the Stars aggressively attacking Georgiev, attempting multiple shots on goal that were all blocked by Avalanche players within the first five minutes.
The Stars' aggressive strategy also helped them maintain their defense, preventing the Avalanche from taking any shots on goal for the first seven minutes of the period.
Colorado didn't need much, as left wing Miles Wood scored with a backhand shot that got past Oettinger with help from left wing Andrew Cogliano, securing a 4-3 victory for the Avalanche.
The Stars now face a tough challenge in this series, given that the team leading 1-0 has historically won 68% the majority of all series in Stanley Cup Playoff history.
Dallas will now get ready for Game 2, aiming to level the series 1-1 on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. at the American Airlines Center.
