Martin Necas supplied the finish twice, and the Colorado Avalanche held off the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. Colorado rode a two-goal second period to improve to 4-2-0, while Dallas slipped to 2-3-1 despite a late push on home ice.
Necas broke a 1-1 tie 3:05 into the middle frame after entering the zone with Nathan MacKinnon. The two worked a quick give-and-go, with Necas driving a one-timer past Jake Oettinger. He added the eventual winner on a Colorado two-man power play at 16:07, burying from a tight angle after Oettinger stopped Devon Toews’ shot and Gabriel Landeskog moved the rebound across the slot.
MacKinnon finished with two assists, and Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring for the Avalanche at 11:32 of the first. Josh Manson’s point attempt struck MacKinnon’s skate before Lehkonen collected the loose puck and lifted it over Oettinger’s pad.
Dallas answered late in the opening period. Tyler Seguin, scoring for a second straight game, sent a pass toward Mikko Rantanen at the far side on the power play at 19:06. The puck redirected off Lehkonen’s skate and crossed the line, tying the game at 1-1.
Seguin later helped create the Stars’ final charge, feeding Roope Hintz from beneath the goal line early in the third. Hintz snapped a one-timer inside the near post at 3:17 to bring Dallas within one, but Mackenzie Blackwood and the Avalanche closed it out from there. Blackwood made 24 saves, while Oettinger stopped 22 shots. Miro Heiskanen recorded two assists for Dallas.
Colorado played without Cale Makar, who was away from the club with his wife, Tracy, as they await the birth of their twins. The Avalanche defenseman has posted three goals and four assists through five games, averaging 21:30 in ice time per night.
