The Stars scored four unanswered goals in the third period to overtake the Avalanche.
DALLAS — The Dallas Stars are moving on.
Behind a clutch performance from Mikko Rantanen and steady goaltending by Jake Oettinger, the Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series Saturday night at American Airlines Center.
With the win, head coach Pete DeBoer improved to a perfect 9-0 in Game 7s — the best mark in NHL history among coaches with at least five appearances. His record spans four franchises: New Jersey, San Jose, Vegas, and now Dallas.
The Avalanche opened the scoring in the second period on a goal from Josh Manson, then made it 2-0 early in the third when Nathan MacKinnon found the back of the net. But the Stars rallied with four unanswered goals in the final frame. Mikko Rantanen sparked the comeback with a goal at 7:49 of the third, then tied it minutes later. Wyatt Johnston put Dallas ahead with 3:56 remaining, and Rantanen sealed the win with an empty-netter with 2.7 seconds left.
Oettinger finished with 24 saves on 26 shots, anchoring a Dallas defense that held firm against a late Avalanche push.
Dallas now advances to the Western Conference semifinals, where it will face the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues.
The victory marks another deep playoff run for the Stars, who reached the Western Conference Final last year.