DENVER — Roope Hintz scored twice, including a short-handed goal in the second period, and the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Friday night.
It was Hintz’s second two-goal game of the season. The Stars have gone 5-1 since a dismal 1-7-1 start.
Anton Khudobin turned back 38 shots, including one with a second remaining.
Nathan MacKinnon scored a second-period goal to give him at least a point in all 13 games. It’s the longest stretch to begin a season since Henrik Zetterberg recorded a point in 17 straight for Detroit in 2007-08.
Philipp Grubauer had 27 saves as Colorado finished 0-2-1 on its three-game homestand.
Both teams take the ice again Saturday, with Colorado playing in Arizona and Dallas hosting Montreal.
One of Khudobin’s top saves in the final period came when his right skate kept out a wrap-around try from J.T. Compher. The Stars clamped down over the final 1:35 after Colorado pulled Grubauer for an extra skater.
Grubauer kept it a one-goal game midway through the third by stopping four rapid shots down low, including three back-hand attempts by Alexander Radulov.
MacKinnon’s power-play goal in the second made it 2-1 and arrived moments after a wild sequence. The Avalanche thought they scored when Nazem Kadri dove to knock in a puck. Just before it went in, though, Compher and Andrew Cogliano collided to knock the net off its anchor. The official ruled it a goal, only to overturn the call on replay.
Cogliano was sent to the penalty box for hooking and MacKinnon capitalized. He now has eight goals and 10 assists.
The Stars jumped out a 2-0 lead as they carried over the momentum from a big comeback win. On Tuesday, they scored six straight goals in a 6-3 win over Minnesota.
Hintz got his first goal of the game with 1:54 remaining in the first period when he gathered up his own rebound and lined it through the pads of Grubauer. His short-hander was early in the second and after the Avalanche made a sloppy line change.
Colorado remains without captain Gabriel Landeskog (out indefinitely with a lower-body injury) and forward Mikko Rantanen (week-to-week with a lower-body ailment). Gone with those two are a combined eight goals and 11 assists.
“It’s tough,” rookie defenceman Cale Makar said. “At the end of the day, we have so much depth. I don’t think anybody’s really worried.”
NOTES: D Andrej Sekera missed a second straight game after slamming into the boards behind the net last weekend. … Avs D Ryan Graves replaced Mark Barberio in the lineup. … F Colin Wilson (lower body) was a scratch. … Kadri picked up assist No. 200 in his NHL career. … Broncos pass rusher Bradley Chubb, who’s recovering from a torn ACL, was in attendance.
UPCOMING
Stars: Host Montreal on Saturday and Colorado on Tuesday.
Avalanche: First of two road games Saturday in Arizona.
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press