The Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout Friday night in Dallas, ending the Stars’ franchise-record 10-game winning streak. Valeri Nichushkin scored with 15 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 4-4, then converted in the shootout to lock up the road win for the NHL-leading Avs.
Colorado entered the night as the top club in the NHL and left Dallas with that status intact. The result puts the Avalanche ahead of the Stars in both the Central Division and the Western Conference, with the two clubs now split by this single contest.
How the Avalanche Pulled Off the Late Comeback
Colorado clawed back into this one on a costly Stars mistake late in regulation. Stars captain Jamie Benn missed an open net with just over a minute left while Dallas skated with the extra attacker. That miss kept the door cracked open. Fifteen seconds later, Nichushkin buried his 13th tally of the year to force overtime.
The sequence was brutal for Dallas. Benn had the net wide open and couldn’t cash in. Colorado’s bench held its composure through regulation, overtime, and into the shootout — exactly the poise you want from a club sitting at the top of the NHL. Both Avs shootout attempts connected to seal the extra point.
The numbers reveal just how dominant Dallas had been before Friday. The Stars reeled off 10 straight victories to build one of the finest stretches in franchise history. That run ended on home ice against the division’s top squad. Dallas carried a 38-14-10 record into the building that night — a mark that shows how dangerous this roster has been all year. Colorado’s ability to grind out a road result against a club playing at that clip speaks to the Avs’ depth across all three periods.
Nichushkin’s 13th score of the year arrived at the most urgent moment of Colorado’s night. His conversion in the shootout then closed the deal. The final tally was 5-4, a high-scoring affair that showed what both attacks can produce when given room to operate.
That two-point swing against a direct divisional rival carries genuine weight in a tight Western Conference race. Dallas was stopped from reaching 11 straight victories — a number that would have pushed the franchise record even further. Colorado’s road execution, from penalty-kill situations to the extra-attacker sequence, held up when pressure peaked.
The film on that final minute tells the story plainly. Benn’s miss and Nichushkin’s finish flipped what looked like a near-loss into two standings points. A road shootout victory over a 38-14-10 club is the kind of result that separates legitimate Stanley Cup contenders from the rest of the pack. The Avs converted both attempts in the extra frame, a detail that matters when you break down how tight this division has become.
Key Developments From Friday’s Victory
Valeri Nichushkin netted his 13th tally of the year with 15 seconds left in regulation, knotting the score at 4-4.
Colorado buried both shootout attempts to win 5-4.
Stars captain Jamie Benn missed an open net with just over a minute left while Dallas skated with the extra attacker.
The victory snapped Dallas’s franchise-record 10-game winning streak.
Dallas entered Friday at 38-14-10, placing the Stars among the top clubs in the Western Conference.
The Colorado Avalanche hold first place in the overall NHL standings and atop the Central Division heading into Sunday’s home date against the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota sits third in the division and third in the Western Conference, directly behind both Colorado and Dallas. A win Sunday stretches Colorado’s cushion over that third-place club and tightens the Avs’ grip on first.
Sunday’s matchup tips off at 8:00 PM on ESPN+. Minnesota is no soft touch — the Wild occupy third in both the Central Division and the conference, so this is a real test of Colorado’s depth. The Avs will need the same sharp execution that produced Friday’s road result.
Dallas is still a genuine threat. A record of 38-14-10 is remarkable, and one loss does not erase how dangerous the Stars are as a divisional rival. But the Stars just had their longest winning run in franchise history stopped on home ice. Colorado’s defensive structure, forward production, and composure in tight spots have all shown up through this stretch of the schedule.
One fair counterpoint: Dallas played 10 straight contests at an elite level before Friday, and a single shootout setback does not define where that club stands. Colorado will face tougher scrutiny as the postseason nears, where one missed chance or one failed shootout attempt can flip a series. The Avs’ line combinations and depth chart will be examined closely as the regular season winds toward its close.
How did the Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars on March 6, 2026?
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout on March 6, 2026, in Dallas. Valeri Nichushkin scored his 13th tally of the year with 15 seconds left in regulation to tie the contest at 4-4, then converted in the shootout as Colorado buried both attempts to take the win.
What franchise record did the Colorado Avalanche end for the Dallas Stars?
The Colorado Avalanche ended the Dallas Stars’ franchise-record 10-game winning streak with the 5-4 shootout victory on March 6, 2026. Dallas had never previously strung together 10 consecutive wins in franchise history before this run, which was stopped on home ice.
Where do the Colorado Avalanche stand in the NHL and Central Division standings?
The Colorado Avalanche lead both the overall NHL standings and the Central Division as of March 7, 2026. Dallas sits second in the division and the Western Conference, while Minnesota holds third place in both.
When is the Colorado Avalanche’s next game after beating Dallas?
The Colorado Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, March 8, 2026, with puck drop set for 8:00 PM on ESPN+. Minnesota is the third-place club in the Central Division and the Western Conference.
Martina VogelMartina Vogel is a Swiss tennis correspondent who has covered every Grand Slam tournament since 2009. With a degree in sports journalism from the University of Zurich, she brings a European perspective and deep tactical insight to her coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. Martina has conducted sit-down interviews with multiple Grand Slam champions and is known for her detailed match analysis that explores the chess-like strategy within every rally.
