Stars nearly perfect vs. aggressive Avs in Game 3, DeBoer says - ESPN

DENVER — Peter DeBoer joked that coaches never really see perfect games, but he said the Dallas Stars' 4-1 win Saturday over the Colorado Avalanche was «as close to a perfect road game» that a team could have.

DeBoer said the Stars' poise went a long way toward achieving that near perfection as they took a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

«Coming in this situation, we knew they were going to come out guns blazing in the first period,» DeBoer said. «You knew their home record. You knew they had challenged their best players… after last game. We knew we were going to get a lot thrown at us early in that game, and our composure throughout the night I thought was outstanding.»

DeBoer's prediction was accurate. The Avalanche broke through to finish with 11 shots on goal in an opening frame that saw them largely control possession with a 68.1% shot share, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Yet it was the Stars who took a 1-0 lead because of a goal from rookie forward Logan Stankoven with 1:21 remaining in the first period and a perfect frame from goaltender Jake Oettinger.

Oettinger, who finished with 29 saves, continually found moments that kept the Avalanche from tying the score. His lone blemish came in the second when the Avs used a more aggressive approach to attack the net. Star center Nathan MacKinnon deked through the Stars' zone before passing it to star winger Mikko Rantanen, who tied the score with 9:36 remaining in the period.

Although the Avalanche have yet to hold a lead in the series, the competition has been tight. The Stars took a 3-0 lead in Game 1 only for the Avalanche to score four straight goals, with the winning goal coming via Colorado's Miles Wood in overtime. Game 2 witnessed the