In Game 6, Stars defeat Avalanche in double overtime to go to the West Final.

Duchene scores at 11:42, Oettinger makes 29 saves for Dallas

Denver Friday night at Ball Arena, the Dallas Stars defeated the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round thanks to a goal by Matt Duchene at 11:42 of the second overtime period.

When asked about his response, Duchene remarked, “I don’t even know what [I] did.” “To be honest with you, I have no clue, but I know that last time I got one in overtime, I ended up on my knees. Is that all it is, happiness?

During a melee in front of the goal, Joe Pavelski found the lost puck and threw a backhand feed to Duchene, who scored from just below the right face-off circle over a diving Alexandar Georgiev.

I seem to recall that there was some give and take. I thought “Dutchy” was a good play. On it, I have a stick,” Pavelski said. It’s just a conflict. I attempted to spread the word after catching “Dutch” sort of out of the corner of my eye.

You’re fighting, and you know it reaches him, in my opinion, and I’ve just been watching the internet. It was wonderful to see it enter.

In the Western Conference Final, the Stars will play the Edmonton Oilers or the Vancouver Canucks. On Saturday, the series will resume with Vancouver leading 3-2.

Dallas will be making its second straight trip to the conference championship. In 2023, the Stars were defeated in six games by the Vegas Golden Knights, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.

At 12:31 of the first overtime, Mason Marchment seemed to have won it for Dallas with a wrist shot from the slot, but goalkeeper interference against Duchene immediately disregarded it. The call was maintained after a review of the footage.

It’s hard to describe. Marchment said, “You’re so happy and I look over and he’s kind of waving it off and see all the boys hopping over the bench.” “I was informed that ‘Dutchy’s’ [rear side] was inappropriate. His [back side] was above the line, but his feet were outside. I was given that explanation.

That is difficult. It’s a swing in momentum. It may sometimes be a big break for them. After then, I believe they may have pushed a little farther. At the very end, we had a great break, and “Dutch” manages to score.

The Stars, who are the top seed in the Central Division, were led by Jamie Benn, who scored the game-tying goal early in the third period. Jake Oettinger made 29 saves.

Coach Pete DeBoer of Dallas said, “Our team comes in here and wins three road games against the best home team in the NHL.” “To be able to achieve it in this building against that squad is just incredible character. What a shambles.

After their first round, Colorado was a squad with more rest. I am really proud of our crew. Everyone, in my opinion, dug deep, and our depth was what got us through.

We had a mix of younger and older men, so that was what ignited us, but they were really great. It’s difficult to comprehend that you’re just halfway there with such a formidable armor. However, we will appreciate and need this time off as we prepare for the next round.

The Avalanche, who were the third seed in the Central, were led by Mikko Rantanen in scoring and had 36 saves from Georgiev.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar said, “There’s no question about it—it was tiring.” “Our boys played hard, but as the periods went on, you could see a decline in our level of enthusiasm. They defended well and played hard every shift.

They are an excellent team. They have self-control. They are profound. They are well-coached and have excellent goaltending. They were a squad that had everything you could want.

They are deserving in my opinion. It is disgusting. As a collective, you give a season your all and still you fall short. It’s never a pleasant sensation.

During a power play at 5:48 in the second period, Rantanen gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead by wrist shooting short side over Oettinger’s shoulder from below the right circle.

Zach Parise said, “It’s one of those ones where you feel like you played well enough to win the game and force a Game 7 just didn’t happen.” “There’s a little shock when it stops abruptly like that. Processing everything takes some time, but it’s a difficult way to go out.

It was 1-1 at 1:56 in the third thanks to Benn. He took an Evgenii Dadonov pass behind his back in stride, stick-handled past a flailing Georgiev, and scored into an open goal with his backhand.

“We’ve had a lot of practice with the lead this series, and we were tested a little bit here with the down,” Pavelski said. We weren’t very good in the second period, and we were a little obstinate about throwing pucks in and understanding how we needed to type of produce.

We were determined to do things correctly, and I believe that’s why we performed the third and overtime. And by generating some O-zone time, we were able to tie the game via our forecheck.

“Just a fantastic play to get us that one, [Tyler Seguin, Dadonov, and Benn].” It was just a driving the middle kind of chip. After a brilliant play by [Dadonov], [Benn] completes it. For us, it was a kind of a turning moment. Everyone could feel the legs advancing toward them.

NOTES: With his goal in Game 6 of the 2008 Western Conference Semi-Final against the San Jose Sharks, Brett Hull’s third overtime in Game 6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final at the Buffalo Sabres, and Joe Nieuwendyk’s third overtime in Game 4 of the 1999 Western Conference Quarter-Final at Edmonton,

Duchene became the fourth player in Stars/Minnesota North Stars history to score the series-clinching goal in a game that required multiple overtimes.

DeBoer secured his 17th series victory, matching him for the second-most among head coaches currently in office. Jon Cooper, 18, is the only one with more.