Wyatt Johnston scored a double the day before his 21e anniversary and the Dallas Stars pushed the Colorado Avalanche to the brink by winning 5-1 on Monday.
Johnston hit the target on advantage and shorthanded to help the Texan team take a 3-1 lead in this second round series. The Stars will be able to put an end to it on Wednesday, in front of their fans.
Miro Heiskanen, Evgenii Dadonov and Sam Steel also made the red light sparkle. Jake Oettinger made 24 saves.
Casey Mittelstadt scored the Avalanche’s lone goal. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 29 pucks.
Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has also re-entered the assistance program of the National Hockey League and the Players’ Association and will consequently be suspended for at least six months without pay.
Nichushkin has scored nine goals and totaled ten points in eight games so far in the playoffs.
The 29-year-old Russian joined the aid program for the first time this season around mid-January.
In the regular season, he scored 28 goals and added 25 assists for 53 points in 54 games. This time he will miss the start of the next season before obtaining the green light from the administrators.
Quebecer and former Montreal Canadiens player Jonathan Drouin replaced him in the lineup after missing all of his team’s playoff matches due to a lower body injury.
The Avalanche were also without Devon Toews due to illness.
To watch on video