Avalanche score six unanswered goals in comeback win over Stars

DALLAS — Mikko Rantanen scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche erased a three-goal deficit in a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.

Colorado’s Cale Makar became the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 200 career assists with three in his 254th game. His first two helpers came on second-period goals by Miles Wood and Ryan Johansen after Dallas had taken a 3-0 lead.

Former Dallas player Valeri Nichushkin tied it on an unassisted goal early in the third before assisting along with Devon Toews when Rantanen put the Avalanche up 4-3.

Another former Stars player, Andrew Cogliano, made it 5-3 just 11 seconds after Rantanen scored.

Tyler Seguin scored twice, and Joe Pavelski added his seventh goal to tie for the Dallas lead before the Stars faded as a season-best four-game winning streak ended.

Jake Oettinger allowed a season-high five goals for Dallas while making 32 saves.

Alexandar Georgiev stopped 24 of 27 shots and was perfect after Seguin’s second goal just more than two minutes into the second period.

Matt Duchene had an assist in his first game against the team that drafted him since joining the Central Division rival Stars as a free agent in the offseason. The 32-year-old’s four-game goal streak ended.

Makar is the fourth defenseman in franchise history to reach 200 assists. His third assist for 201 in his career came on Ross Colton’s empty-net goal.

Avalanche: Play at Nashville on Monday.

Stars: The streaking Rangers (12-2-1) visit Monday in the third game on a five-game homestand, which matches the longest of the season. New York has won four straight and is 10-0-1 in its last 11 games.

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