The Avalanche’s hopes of participating in the Stanley playoffs were dashed after they lost to the Dallas Stars in the second overtime of Game 6.
Former Av’s player Matt Duchene scored the game-winning goal to allow the Dallas Stars to advance to the Western Conference final.
Dallas will face either Edmonton or Vancouver next. It’s the second straight trip to the conference final for the Stars, who lost last season to eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas.
The Stars won their only Stanley Cup title in 1999.
This was a series in which the road team won five of six games, including the Stars taking all three in Denver.
After winning the Stanley Cup two years ago, the Avalanche ended this season 50-25-7.
Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves, including 23 in the third and overtime periods.
Rantanen opened the scoring at 5:48 of the second period with his fourth goal of the playoffs when he fired a top-shelf shot from the right doorstep past Jake Oettinger on the power play thanks to assists from Jonathan Drouin and Cale Makar.
“A devastating result,” Avs defenseman Cale Makar said, after the disappointment of Friday turned to Saturday and the first day of vacation the Avs didn’t want.
“It sucks … you put so much into a season as a group and you come up short,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said.
The most dangerous scoring team in the league couldn’t beat Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger more than one time in Game 6.
