DALLAS (AP) — Joe Pavelski scored twice in 20 seconds in the opening 1:31 to reach 400 career goals, and two goaltenders combined to shut out the NHL’s highest-scoring team Friday night, as the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1.
Denis Gurianov added a power-play goal for Dallas, which has won its last five home games and five of six overall.
Cale Makar scored at 16:39 of the third period with the extra skater on the ice for Colorado, which had its six-game winning streak halted. Makar has goals in a franchise-record five straight games for a defenseman.
Jake Oettinger made 33 saves and earned the win. Oettinger was replaced by veteran Braden Holtby during the last 7:22 of the second period after being struck in the head by Nicolas Aube-Kubel. He returned for the third period. Holtby, who leads Stars goalies with eight starts had missed the previous five games with a lower body injury. He finished with four saves.
The Avalanche entered leading the league by averaging 4.06 goals per game. Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 shots and had his personal five-game winning streak — the longest active run in the NHL — stopped.
Each team will complete a back-to-back on Saturday night.
Pavelski first scored at 1:12 when he was left alone at the far post to Kuemper’s right and converted a pass by Jason Robertson from the opposite circle. At 1:31, Pavelski dipped his right knee as he skated on net, controlled a pass from Roope Hintz on his backhand, shifted the puck to his forehand and scored from between the circles.
Gurianov collected a rebound in the low slot off a shot by Miro Heiskanen and sent a wrister to Kuemper’s right for his second goal in two games.
Oettinger left at 12:38 of the second period when Aube-Kubel’s right elbow caught him in the head as Aube-Kubel charged the net along the goal line.
Oettinger went into the game leading the NHL with a 1.29 goals-against average in four games since being called up from Texas of the American Hockey League on Nov. 13.
UP NEXT
Avalanche: Host Nashville on Saturday night.
Stars: At Arizona on Saturday night.
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