– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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DALLAS — Colin Blackwell had a front-row seat during the Dallas Stars’ Game 1 defeat on Saturday night. On Monday, with the season more than likely in the balance, Blackwell went from spectator to first star as the Stars got on the board in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Blackwell scored off a rebound from his own shot late in overtime to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche inside American Airlines Center to tie the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. Dallas came back from a goal down in the third period on Evgenii Dadonov’s game-tying tally halfway through the third period.
Game 3 of the series is Wednesday night at Ball Arena in Denver.
Blackwell was a healthy scratch for Dallas during Colorado’s 5-1 victory in the opener, and before tonight, the 2011 seventh-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks had played in just seven career Stanley Cup Playoffs games with one career postseason goal to his credit. In doubling his playoff goal tally, he infused the Stars with life in this series and also snapped the team’s eight-game losing streak going back to the end of the regular season.
On the game-winner, Blackwell’s initial shot from the slot was saved by Avalanche goalkeeper MacKenzie Blackwood, who then lost sight of the puck as it laid to the goalkeeper’s left. Blackwell was laert to the puck and beat two Avalanche defenders to it before lifting his second attempt over Blackwood’s shoulder to set off wild celebrations inside the arena — and give Dallas its first win (and first win at home) since April 3.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Monday evening’s Game 2, with photos taken by ALOST photo editor Ross James. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page. Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 23 pictures in total.
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