Neither side scored again before the end of the third period, sending Game 7 to overtime.
Kiviranta and Alexander Radulov potted a pair of goals apiece, providing all of the Stars' offense before the extra frame. Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri notched the other markers for the Avalanche.
The winner of the contest advances to the Western Conference Final, which Colorado hasn't reached since 2002. Dallas is seeking its first appearance in the conference finals since 2008.
Landeskog had his leg sliced by teammate Cale Makar in the second period of Game 6 and was unable to finish the contest. He's been deemed unfit to play, per NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
You can see the slice to Gabriel Landeskog here - just above the right knee. #GoAvsGo Here's a great zoomed in look from Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/Dn3WOzBxZy
Karmanos is in his third season as the Penguins' assistant GM. He was Pittsburgh's vice president of hockey operations from 2014-17, helping to oversee its Stanley Cup-winning squads in 2016 and 2017.
Before working with the Penguins under current GM Jim Rutherford, the 46-year-old spent 15 years as an executive with the Carolina Hurricanes from 1998-2013. Rutherford served as Carolina's GM from 1994-2014, and both men helped the Hurricanes win the title in 2006.
Karmanos is the son of former Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers owner Peter Karmanos. Carolina fired the younger Karmanos four days before training camp in 2013, and his father - who ran the team at the time - referred to it as a "family matter." Three of the elder Karmanos' sons, including Jason, sued their father for $105 million in 2016. The lawsuit was ultimately settled in mediation.
Former Coyotes general manager and president of hockey operations John Chayka terminated his contract in late July, after which the team accused him of "quitting" on the club as it was about to begin postseason play. Chayka spent four years with Arizona after the Coyotes anointed him as the youngest GM in NHL history upon giving him the job at the age of 26.
It's not often that one of Wayne Gretzky's records can be broken, but he hopes Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon gets a crack at setting a new benchmark for playoff points in a single season.
The Great One holds the record with a whopping 47 points in 18 games en route to winning the Stanley Cup in 1985. MacKinnon has a long way to go - he's currently at 25 points through 14 contests - but could challenge the all-time mark if Colorado goes on a run to the final.
"I would be the first to shake his hand if he were to break it. He is a terrific kid," Gretzky told TSN's Frank Seravalli on Thursday.
Gretzky added, "He's got more than a good chance. He has been dominant in every game. It's almost like he's picked up 20 guys on his shoulders and said, 'We're not going to lose.'"
He went on to praise MacKinnon as a blend of some of the best players to ever suit up.
"He is a cross between (Mario) Lemieux's hands, (Mark) Messier's power, Connor (McDavid's) speed. He is the full package," Gretzky said. "He is a force."
If MacKinnon breaks Gretzky's record, some may question its legitimacy, as this year's 24-team playoff featured an extra round. Gretzky doesn't buy into that notion.
"Absolutely not," he said. "Look, there is an evolution to the game. Things change, the playoffs change. Jean Beliveau and Gordie Howe only got two rounds. Then Bobby Orr came along and he got three rounds. No one said that my records shouldn't count because I played four (rounds), more games than Gordie or Beliveau or The Rocket (Maurice Richard). Their records all would have been a lot higher had they played more games."
Gretzky averaged a remarkable 2.61 points per game on his record-setting run, and MacKinnon is currently at 1.78. The Avalanche center has his work cut out for him, but MacKinnon's terrific postseason thus far already places him in Gretzky's company: He's the first player to amass 25 points in his club's first 14 playoff games since Gretzky did so with the Los Angeles Kings in 1993.
Gretzky had three 40-point postseasons in his career. The only other player to reach that threshold was Lemieux, who registered 44 points in the 1991 playoffs.
These will be the first Game 7s of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's rather surprising we've reached this point, as the Golden Knights and Stars held 3-1 series leads.
As the saying goes, anything can happen in a Game 7, so expect the unexpected. That said, here are some key storylines to monitor in each game that could have a major impact on which teams live to see another day.
Hutchinson's heroics
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Of everything that's unfolded in 2020, Michael Hutchinson stealing a playoff series could be the most unexpected turn of events. The 30-year-old is the Avs' third-string netminder but has risen to the occasion since being forced to start Game 5 after Pavel Francouz's injury.
Hutchinson - who had previously never made a postseason start - stopped 58 of 62 Dallas shots in his two wins this series. His sudden resurgence comes after he posted a dreadful .886 save percentage and 3.66 goals-against average across 15 appearances as a backup with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There have been several instances in NHL history where an unheralded goalie has carried their team to playoff success, but Hutchinson leading the Avalanche on a run would be one of the unlikeliest the league has ever seen. It's hard not to be impressed by the journeyman backup, who's played for four different teams over seven seasons. He's authoring a legitimate feel-good story and can earn some future security as a pending unrestricted free agent if he keeps it up.
Demko's dominance
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
With the Golden Knights holding a 3-1 series lead and All-Star netminder Jacob Markstrom suddenly unfit to play, the Canucks appeared dead in the water. Enter Thatcher Demko, who put Vancouver on his back in victories in Games 5 and 6.
Demko was the Canucks' backup all season and posted a .906 save percentage in 27 appearances. He made 43 saves in Game 5, followed by a 48-stop shutout Thursday in Game 6. Vegas heavily outplayed Vancouver in each of its attempts to close out the series, but Demko has been unflappable against consistent barrages from the Golden Knights' offense.
In a one-game, winner-take-all situation, there's perhaps no greater advantage than a red-hot goaltender, so the Canucks have to be feeling confident they can pull off the upset against the top-seeded Golden Knights.
If Demko does it again, it may set up a Cinderella matchup with Hutchinson for a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. File that one in the "who would have thought?"department.
Who starts for Vegas?
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
While Vancouver and Colorado ride waves of unforeseen goalie magic, Vegas finds itself embroiled in a controversy between the pipes with its season on the line.
The sword picture Marc-Andre Fleury's agent tweeted at the outset of the series would hardly register as a story now if Robin Lehner had found a way to close out the series. In Vancouver's two most recent wins, Lehner has an .872 save percentage against only 39 shots. Does Peter DeBoer hope his No. 1 can find his game again in short order, or does he turn to Fleury as he did for the club's last back-to-back set?
Despite owning a .893 save percentage in three appearances in the bubble, Fleury does have a case to earn the start. The veteran goaltender has more experience in high-leverage postseason games, including multiple Game 7 victories. He's also 12-2-2 lifetime against the Canucks.
MacKinnon's magic
Dave Sandford / National Hockey League / Getty
Nathan MacKinnon's been the most exciting player to watch this postseason. He's willed the Avalanche to several wins this summer and will look to do so again in Game 7.
The MVP finalist is scorching hot. He tied Bobby Orr and Mark Messier for the second-longest point streak to start a postseason with an assist in Game 6. MacKinnon also became the first player to record 25 points in his team's first 14 postseason games since Wayne Gretzky in 1992-93.
The 25-year-old's game has developed into appointment viewing, and hockey fans can only hope he's got another virtuoso performance up his sleeve for his club's biggest contest of the season.
Can Stars' top line reappear?
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
It's been a Jekyll and Hyde series thus far for the Stars' top producers. Dallas' top trio of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov combined for just one point in the club's last two games after racking up 17 in the previous four contests.
There's no question the Stars' big guns need to step up Friday night, especially against the MacKinnon line, which has shown no signs of slowing down.
"We can win games as a line," Seguin said after Game 6, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
Dallas can help its top players make an impact by staying out of the penalty box. The Stars gave the Avalanche six power plays in Game 5 and five in Game 6, significantly limiting their top line's ice time.
After turning aside 41 of 42 shots in Game 5, Vancouver netminder Thatcher Demko blanked the Golden Knights by denying all 48 of their shots. He became the first rookie goalie to win each of his first two career NHL playoff starts when his team was facing elimination since Jacques Plante in 1953, according to Sportsnet Stats.
He also set the record for the most saves from a rookie in a playoff shutout.
"That’s hockey. It’s the best sport in the world for that reason, there’s a lot of ups and downs," Demko said of his team's gutsy win. "Backs against the wall, our guys are stepping up, but the job isn’t done yet.”
There was a much better pace to the Canucks' game immediately in Game 6 compared to Game 5. Jake Virtanen opened up the scoring for Vancouver minutes into the first period. Then after a bit of a sloppy start, Vegas picked up its play and started to increase the pressure.
Vegas continued to control much of the play during a scoreless second period. The Golden Knights outshot Vancouver 17-7 in the frame while holding a 68 Corsi For percentage. Counting back to the end of the first period, Vancouver nearly went 20 minutes straight without a shot on goal. But Demko stood tall, even with Vegas controlling the puck often.
Following an impressive solo effort from rookie defenseman Quinn Hughes to open up the third period, J.T. Miller was able to score and put the Canucks ahead by two. Minutes later, Hughes wired home a slap shot, adding to the lead. Bo Horvat ended up scoring an empty-netter to cement the victory.
After dropping two straight games, Vegas netminder Robin Lehner isn't downplaying his performance. With Marc-Andre Fleury rested and ready, it's unclear which goalie will start the pivotal Game 7.
"Whoever plays, plays. If I get to play, I'll do my best," Lehner said, according to NHL.com's Danny Webster. "I feel good out there. It's just the bounces aren't going our way right now."
Demko, who looked visibly exhausted toward the end of Game 6, isn't worried about possibly playing Game 7 on such short rest.
"The only difference will be I might not skate tomorrow. That's how college was for me," Demko said, according to Webster. "It's nothing new for anyone in pro hockey. We've just got to prepare the same way."
Lindblom had not played since his cancer diagnosis in December. He rung the bell for his final treatment in July and was added to the Flyers' postseason roster before the NHL's return to play.
The 2019-20 Dallas Stars are a perplexing hockey team, to put it mildly.
They began the regular season by losing eight of nine games under former coach Jim Montgomery. Then they went on a thrilling 14-1-1 run. By the pause in March, Dallas had strung together enough good stretches to secure a top-four spot in the Western Conference - yet the team dragged a six-game losing skid into the hiatus.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Defensively dominant but starved for goals, the Stars were considered a fringe contender heading into the restart. Six weeks in, they still can't get out of their own way, having coughed up a 3-1 series lead over the Colorado Avalanche in a second-round meeting of Central Division foes.
"We put ourselves in this position and now we have to deal with it," interim head coach Rick Bowness said following Wednesday's 4-1 loss in Game 6.
The franchise hasn't won multiple playoff series since 2008, back when Brenden Morrow was captain, Dave Tippett was coach, and Mike Modano was still around. In the 2019 postseason, the Stars lost in Game 7 of the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.
History is not on Dallas' side. But you just never know with this group.
So, how might Friday's Game 7 shake out? Let's break down both outcomes.
The case for a Stars win
Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon has been the restart's best player. Full stop.
There's also no debate over who's enjoying the biggest breakout performance: 21-year-old Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen has been the team's MVP this postseason with an absurd 19 points in 15 games. He's averaging 25:48 of ice time a night, which is third among second-round players. He's a multidimensional blue-liner who possesses an innate ability to ignite or calm a game at a moment's notice. He's a future Norris Trophy winner, and another dominant two-way performance from the Finn would tilt the scales in Dallas' favor in Game 7.
"I know there's a lot of attention on his points and everything else, but there should be just as much attention on his ability to get us out of trouble, his ability to skate the puck out of the zone, his ability to make the right play at the right time," Bowness said, adding: "When things aren't going well, put Miro on the ice and he'll settle it down."
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
The entire Dallas defense corps will be tested Friday. That's perfectly fine because it's the lifeblood of this team and you can't expect to beat an offensive juggernaut like Colorado without pushback from the blue line. Dallas' counterattack and defensive structure are highly dependent on its defensemen. This is the way the Stars were built, and when they're winning, Heiskanen, John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Jamie Oleksiak, and Stephen Johns are in the middle of the action in all three zones. (Johns has been ruled unfit to play for all but one postseason game, however.)
Defensively, Oleksiak and Lindell have been especially sharp. "Big Rig: He's been fantastic for us all year. He's raised his game to another level," Bowness said of the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Oleksiak prior to Game 5. "You know what you're going to get every shift from Esa Lindell. Just a solid, reliable defenseman who competes very hard."
The club's top-four defensemen have been contributing on offense, too, accumulating 39 total points to lead all defense groups. That output accounts for 30% of the Stars' postseason offense. In Friday's do-or-die environment, active sticks and smart pinches will be key. "Good defense creates offense, right?" rookie forward Denis Gurianov, who has two goals and five assists in the second round, said earlier this week.
Andy Devlin / Getty Images
Only three Dallas regulars - third-pairing defensemen Andrej Sekera and Taylor Fedun, and depth forward Andrew Cogliano - have failed to register a point since the restart. Veteran Joe Pavelski and Gurianov lead the charge with eight goals apiece, with first-line wingers Alexander Radulov and captain Jamie Benn, as well as Heiskanen, contributing five each.
Yes, on aggregate, Dallas is being outshot, outchanced, and outscored at even strength by Colorado, but it's encouraging that just about everybody has pitched in. It's led to an odd contrast between the regular-season Stars and postseason Stars. The team scored four or more goals 15 times in 69 regular-season games; in the playoffs, they've scored four or more goals seven times in 15 games.
The Stars' power play is tops among the final eight squads, humming at 25.5%. Against the Avalanche in Round 2, it's buried seven goals on 21 opportunities for a sizzling 33.3%. The penalty kill has been equally effective. The Avs' power play has managed to score three times off 28 opportunities (10.7%). And center Nazem Kadri - who assumes the bumper position on Colorado's No. 1 unit and entered the series with five power-play goals in eight games - has recorded just two five-on-five goals against Dallas.
The final factor working in the Stars' favor is out of their control but nevertheless very important: the Avs' lineup. Captain Gabriel Landeskog and young defenseman Conor Timmins are both questionable for Game 7, while coach Jared Bednar's goaltending options - will third-stringer Michael Hutchinson get the nod or will Pavel Francouz be cleared to play? - are, at best, mediocre.
The Stars have looked capable of both big wins and aimless losses during the restart. Which version of the team will show up for a potential narrative-changing Game 7? "We know what we've got in our dressing room. We believe," forward Tyler Seguin said. "We never thought that it was going to be a sweep or an easy series. We always said it was going to go to Game 6 or 7. So here we are."
The case against a Stars win
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
Only two goals separate the teams after six games, with the Avalanche ahead 25-23. But remember that so far the Stars have faced an NHL starter - in this case, Philipp Grubauer - for a grand total of 23 minutes in the series.
For 198 minutes, Francouz, a 30-year-old playoff rookie with 42 games of regular-season experience, has manned the net, while Hutchinson, also 30 and a career backup, has racked up 129 minutes in the crease. These are beatable goalies that Stars forwards should be peppering with pucks and screens. Instead, Dallas has mostly failed to create chaos in Colorado's end, allowing the Avs to insulate their goalies.
"If you get too cute, you're playing right into their hands. We're making it an easier night on the goalie than it should be," Bowness said following Game 6, in which Hutchinson stopped 27 of 28 Dallas shots. Forward Corey Perry, who has six points in 15 games, believes sustained pressure is the missing ingredient: "It's the O-zone time. It's wearing them down and getting those second opportunities that we really need to capitalize on."
The lack of execution is most evident with the Stars' stars - Seguin, Benn, and Radulov. For a trio that makes a combined $25.6 million a year, five even-strength goals in six games versus a backup and a third-stringer don't cut it. The underlying numbers aren't pretty, either: The line owns just 44% of the shot attempts and 44% of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. It's hard to fathom them breaking through in Game 7 when both the results and the process haven't been up to par.
"Don't sugarcoat it. It is what it is. Your top players have to carry you at this time of year and they've got to produce," Bowness said Wednesday night.
Dave Sandford / Getty Images
Ben Bishop, a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2018-19, is both a top player and a puck-stopper - someone Bowness could really use beyond what was essentially a trial run in Game 5. But, like Grubauer, he's unavailable for Game 7. Dallas has the better backup in Anton Khudobin, who has been solid in relief, but not lights-out. Among the 12 goalies who have logged at least 500 minutes during the restart, Khudobin is 11th in save percentage.
Compounding the issue is the copious amount of penalties Dallas is taking. While the penalty kill is doing an admirable job, every infraction puts a greater strain on Khudobin and robs the top line of ice time. In Game 6, for instance, the Stars were shorthanded on five occasions. This led to Radulov getting 15:52 of ice time, Seguin 15:09, and Benn 14:31. Also, the more penalties Dallas takes, the more it's playing with fire. Colorado has enviable personnel at its disposal - MacKinnon, Rantanen, Kadri, and Cale Makar, for starters - and the floodgates will open at some point.
Oh, right: MacKinnon, on top of all the Stars' other problems. Every single time the dynamic, explosive center is on the ice, Dallas - and any other team in the NHL - plays on its heels. He's a constant threat, especially when he winds up off the rush or regroups in the neutral zone. MacKinnon has an eye-popping 25 points in 14 games. That's already a higher total than last year's Conn Smythe winner Ryan O'Reilly, who tied Brad Marchand atop the postseason points leaderboard. If MacKinnon adds to his tally in any meaningful way Friday, the Stars are done.
