Stars Beat Avalanche 5-1 in Game 4, Head Home Up 3-1 in Series

Wyatt Johnston, a Burgeoning Star

However long the team’s playoff run lasts, the Dallas faithful can rest assured that one of the league’s young stars is a Star. Wyatt Johnston put his stamp on Game 3 in more ways than one. Hours before celebrating his 21^st birthday, the forward helped make life particularly difficult for the Avalanche. Dallas’ aggressiveness while on the penalty kill in the first period allowed Johnston to net his sixth of the postseason, and some exquisite puck movement fed him on the power play in the middle frame for a 2-0 lead and his seventh playoff marker.

Dallas’ talented bunch showed superiority shortly after that when Miro Heiskanen floated a wrister from the blue line for which Avalanche keeper Alexandar Georgiev was screened. The hosts attempted a comeback through Casey Mittelstadt’s close-range effort that made it 3-1. That was as close as Colorado got, as more aggressiveness in the final frame from the Stars allowed Evgeny Dadonov to pounce on a rebound in close range to bolster their advantage to 4-1 before Sam Steel scored an empty netter late. Make the final 5-1 for Dallas.

With a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Stars head back to Dallas for Game 5 on Wednesday.