DALLAS (AP) — Mason Marchment and Joe Pavelski ended career-long goal droughts as the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-3 on Saturday.
Jason Robertson had two goals and an assist, including a late empty-net score, while Miro Heiskanen, Radek Faksa and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars, who lead the Central Division and are 4-0-1 in their last five games. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.
Samuel Girard had a goal and two assists and Andrew Cogliano and Evan Rodrigues also scored for the Avalanche. The defending Stanley Cup champions have lost two consecutive games in regulation and allowed seven goals in each, not done by the franchise since the 1989-90 Quebec Nordiques, following a 7-0-1 run.
Alexandar Georgiev was pulled midway through the second period after allowing five goals on 19 shots. Keith Kinkaid, acquired from the Boston Bruins on Feb. 25, replaced Georgiev to make his first NHL appearance since Nov. 12. Kinkaid added eight saves.
Marchment went 32 games without a goal since tallying an empty-netter on Dec. 13, 37 games without shooting a puck past a goaltender. He settled a pass from Ryan Suter in the slot and scored on a wrist shot giving the Stars a 4-1 lead at 5:25 of the second period.
After the goal, linemate Tyler Seguin figuratively pulled the monkey from Marchment’s back.
“That’s a good feeling there for sure,” said Marchment, who joined Dallas as a free agent last summer. “It’s been tough, but it’s always ups and downs through the season. You’ve just got to battle through it.”
Pavelski ended an 18-game drought at 17:42 of the first period about a minute and a half after Girard’s slap shot from the right point pulled Colorado within 2-1. Pavelski also had an assist.
“I don’t think we did a very good job of handling their forecheck at the start of the game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “You look at two of the first three goals, we kind of turned pucks over and they come back and capitalize on those chances. They did it again in the second period.”
Robertson has 37 goals and 79 points. He went into play tied for 10th in the NHL in both categories.
The 15 goals this season by Johnston, the NHL’s youngest player at 19 years and 294 days old, rank fourth among league rookies.
WELCOME AND WELCOME BACK
Max Domi made his Stars debut without a practice or even a morning skate with his new team after the late-night Thursday trade from the Blackhawks soon after the Stars played in Chicago that night. On his first shift, Domi plowed over Girard by the boards.
“He set the tone,” Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said.
Cale Makar, the reigning winner of the Norris and Conn Smythe Trophies, returned to the Avs’ lineup after missing the last five games and 13 of the last 17 because of multiple injuries, including a head injury.
Makar went in leading the NHL averaging 26:57 per game and played a team-high 22:27.
“You want to be thrown in the fire like that,” Makar said. I think it’s the best scenario.”
NOTES
Stars captain Jamie Benn was honored before the game for reaching 1,000 career NHL games, which he did on Feb. 6. That’s second in franchise history to Mike Modano’s 1,459. Benn assisted on Heiskanen’s goal. … Dallas forward Roope Hintz and Colorado forward Alex Newhook had two assists each. … Kinkaid wore his yellow Bruins gloves and pads.
UP NEXT
Avalanche: Complete a back-to-back at home on Sunday night against the Seattle Kraken.
Stars: Host the Calgary Flames on Monday night before a six-game road trip from Buffalo to Seattle.
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