After failing to close out at home, Kraken travel to Colorado to face defending champion Avalanche in Game 7

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

It took six games of these playoffs for the Colorado Avalanche to finally look the part of a defending Stanley Cup champion.

Colorado’s reward? A trip back home for Game 7 and the chance to dispatch the pesky Seattle Kraken.

Mikko Rantanen scored his seventh goal of the playoffs, Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, including an empty-net goal in the closing seconds, and the Avalanche beat the Kraken 4-1 on Friday night in their first-round playoff series.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) celebrates his goal against the Seattle Kraken with teammate Devon Toews (7) during the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Friday, April 28, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Rantanen scored in the final seconds of the first period, tying it at 1 after Seattle posted the first goal yet again. The Avalanche then dominated the final two periods, flashing some of what made them Stanley Cup champs a season ago.

PANTHERS' OFFENSE EXPLODES, STAY ALIVE IN SERIES WITH GAME 6 WIN OVER BRUINS

"I don’t think we’ve had a full 60 (minutes) yet, a full, good 60, and today we did. We played three good periods, even though they scored the first goal again, but we (stuck) with it and played to our identity," Rantanen said.

Erik Johnson scored his first of the playoffs on a deflected shot 7:21 into the second. Lehkonen redirected Devon Toews' slap pass at 16:57 to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. Toews had two assists, as did Cale Makar after being suspended for Game 5.

"We reiterated it after the game. Any time we’ve had adversity, we’ve said we’re