Wyatt Johnston (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)“I think those guys are due.”
Those were head coach Pete DeBoer’s words before the puck dropped for Game 5 between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
Bookmark The Hockey News Dallas Stars team site to never miss the latest news, game day stories, and information on the players.
It turns out he was right.
Dallas has to thank its lucky “stars” as they come up huge for them in a game that pushes the Avalanche to the edge, heading back to Denver for Game 6.
Trending Stars Stories
After calling out his top players by saying, “I don’t think any of our big guys have delivered this series.” It appears that they took those words personally.
Wyatt Johnston was named the first star of the game with his two-goal, three-point performance. Mikko Rantanen also delivered a three-point performance, assisting on Johnston’s second goal on the powerplay in addition to Roope Hintz’s empty net marker.
Hintz delivered too, adding an assist on top of the empty net goal he pocketed to seal the deal for the Stars.
Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene also added one assist to their point totals. For Duchene, that was his first point of the 2025 playoffs.
The Stars may be up 3-2, but now they will face their most difficult challenge of the season – attempting to put away a desperate Avalanche team on their home turf.
Who will be the more desperate team? Who will play with more urgency? Who will execute when it matters the most, those wishing to stay in the fight or those wishing to end it?
All those questions (and more) will be answered on Thursday night.
Add us to your Google News favorites and never miss a story.