Stars 3, Avalanche 2 (SO): Hintz Ends a Night Colorado Kept Erasing

October 14, 2026 - Denver - Colorado put two pucks in the net in the first period and left with none. Jaden Schwartz's was offside. Gabriel Landeskog's was a kick. Casey DeSmith still had to stop 25 more, and Roope Hintz still had to beat Scott Wedgewood in the fourth round.

The Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in a shootout at Ball Arena. Dallas is 3-3-1 after an 0-1-1 slide, including a 3-2 home loss to these same Avalanche on Tuesday. Colorado is 4-2-1. Shots were 27-22 Colorado. Attendance was 18,107, per ESPN. Arttu Hyry, Oskar Back, and Gavin Brindley are not seeded on AthX player pages, so those names stay unlinked.

Miro Heiskanen and Hyry scored in regulation. DeSmith stopped 25 of 27 in 65 minutes, then three of four in the shootout. The NHL recap called it his 100th career win, 26th American-born goalie to reach that mark. Landeskog and Brock Nelson scored. Nazem Kadri had two assists and a shootout goal. Wedgewood stopped 20 of 22.

Two reviews, then Landeskog for real

The Associated Press recap said Schwartz's first-period goal came off the board on an offside challenge. Landeskog's later in the period came off when officials ruled a kicking motion. Wedgewood told NHL.com it was annoying, then you find ways to put the puck in the net.

Landeskog did, at 4:55 of the second. Kadri shot from the left-circle hashes. Landeskog, alone in front, tipped it. Sam Malinski had the other assist. The NHL recap said it was the 90th time Landeskog had factored on a game-opening Avalanche or Nordiques goal, tied with Alex Tanguay for ninth in franchise history.

Heiskanen tied it at 15:03. Mikko Rantanen fed him from outside the right circle. Wrist shot, top shelf, short side over Wedgewood's right shoulder from the left dot. Thomas Harley the other assist. Hyry told NHL.com that was the push they needed: hold pucks, cycle, don't just rim it to the blue line. The NHL recap put Heiskanen at 70 career goals, past Daryl Sydor for sixth among Stars defensemen.

Hyry's steal, Nelson's bounce, then four rounds

Hyry made it 2-1 at 1:20 of the third, short-handed. He picked off Cale Makar at his own blue line, outran him, and went forehand to backhand past Wedgewood's glove. Hyry told NHL.com his dad used to tell him to do that move. Hintz said he had so many good looks that had not gone in. He deserved that one.

Nelson tied it 2-2 at 8:21. Artturi Lehkonen shot. The puck caromed off Harley to Nelson, who finished short side around DeSmith's right pad, the NHL recap said. Kadri the other assist.

The AP recap said Brindley thought he scored in the third and started celebrating. Officials never called it a goal. Replays showed it hit both posts and stayed out. Hyry nearly won it in overtime and hit a post, the AP recap said.

Shootout: Jason Robertson scored. DeSmith stopped Martin Necas. Wedgewood stopped Tyler Seguin. Kadri scored on a backhand. Rantanen's attempt hit the right post, per ESPN. DeSmith stopped Nathan MacKinnon. Hintz went slower from the left side, picked a spot, and scored, he told NHL.com. DeSmith stopped Nelson. Dallas 2, Colorado 1 in the tiebreaker.

Glen Gulutzan told NHL.com Tuesday was a big-boy game they slightly outplayed and got no points. Wednesday, Colorado slightly outplayed them in the third. Six even periods, two points for Dallas, three for Colorado across the set. Jared Bednar liked the first and the third, not the second-period habits, and said they came up a little short.

Makar missed Tuesday for the birth of twins and played 22:54 with two shots, plus-1, the NHL recap said. He told NHL.com it felt really good, a little different in the morning, and you have something to go home to. Nicolas Roy sat with an upper-body injury, day to day. Back left in the first with an upper-body injury after 3:04 and did not return. Gulutzan did not provide an update.

AthX Engine on a 16.60 shootout night

AthX Engine (our projection and scoring system) scored DeSmith at 10.60 (win, 25 saves, two goals against). Harley is 6.80 on an assist, three shots, and five blocks. Hyry is 6.20 once the short-handed bonus from the landing is applied. Kadri is 6.20 on two assists. Landeskog is 5.70. Nelson and Hyry's regulation goals sit in the same band. Heiskanen is 4.70 after two PIM. Hintz's shootout winner is the result, not a skater counting stat. Wedgewood's overtime loss, 20 saves, and two goals against land at 6.10.

Dallas's team line is 16.60. Colorado's overtime loss is 7.40.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a Stars defense that played 30 minutes of Heiskanen and still needed a fourth-round wrist shot. They are not the same number.

Track Hintz, DeSmith, Makar, and both clubs on the marketplace. Dallas visits Chicago on Saturday. Pittsburgh visits Colorado on Friday.

*Sources: AP recap (ESPN), ESPN box score, NHL.com recap, NHL.com scoreboard, ESPN NHL scoreboard. AthX Engine fantasy points scored from NHL gamecenter box 2026020107. Information only; not financial advice.*