Mikko Rantanen would have never believed that he would have a hat trick in a Game 7 against Colorado.

Mikko Rantanen assisted on Wyatt Johnston’s tiebreaking power-play goal with 3:56 left before completing a third-period hat trick with an empty-netter as the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 in Game 7 to wrap up the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Nathan MacKinnon received credit for a go-ahead goal with 10:56 remaining after the puck bounced off the shoulder of a Dallas player and the Colorado Avalanche staved off elimination by rallying to beat the Stars 7-4 in Game 6.

Wyatt Johnston scored nine seconds in for the quickest goal ever to start a playoff game for the Dallas Stars.

Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first NHL goal in nearly three years in the second period of Game 4 against Dallas on Saturday night.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog returned to the lineup and played his first NHL game in nearly three years Wednesday night in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars in Game 3.

The Colorado Avalanche activated captain Gabriel Landeskog off injured reserve, but again delayed his return after nearly three years.

New Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is already having a big impact on the Avalanche in their eighth consecutive postseason.

The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche are meeting in the playoffs again, this time in the opening round with Mikko Rantanen on a different side.

The NHL has set another attendance record and surpassed 23 million fans for the first time.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon has reached the 1,000-point milestone.

The ever-modest Cale Makar did all he could to downplay his two-goal, four-assist night.

The Colorado Avalanche trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews had an easy excuse for not attending practice on Friday.

Facing the prospect of Mikko Rantanen becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season, Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland felt the timing was right to trade the star forward and bolster the Avalanche’s roster for the future.

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired forwards Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall from the Chicago Blackhawks in a three-team trade.

It didn’t take goalie Mackenzie Blackwood long to establish himself as the Colorado Avalanche’s starter for the present and future after signing a five-year $26.25 million contract extension.

Macklin Celebrini grew up dreaming about playing NHL hockey at Rogers Arena.

Former NHL player and TNT hockey analyst Paul Bissonnette was assaulted by several men during an altercation at a Scottsdale steakhouse on Sunday night.

Brandon Hagel tied an NHL record with four assists in the opening period and finished with five as the Tampa Bay Lightning cruised past the Colorado Avalanche 8-2 on Monday.

The Washington Capitals put Alex Ovechkin on injured reserve and recalled fellow Russian winger Ivan Miroshnichenko from the minors.

The NHL referee who was stretchered out of a game following a violent collision with Colorado defenseman Josh Manson was back home and expected to make a full recovery.

The first two weeks of the season have not been kind to a few of the top Stanley Cup contenders.

Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner is expected to miss most of the season after having shoulder surgery.

The biggest factor in the direction of the Colorado Avalanche’s offseason plans may just hinge on trust.

The Dallas Stars finally get a little bit of a breather after avoiding another Game 7 on the way to their second Western Conference Final in a row.

Wyatt Johnston scored twice on the eve of his 21st birthday as the Dallas Stars pushed Colorado to the brink of elimination with a 5-1 win in Game 4 that came hours after Avalanche standout Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months.

For a second consecutive year, the Avalanche are on the brink of elimination with Valeri Nichushkin, one of their top players, unavailable due to circumstances away from the ice.

The Colorado Avalanche had gone a full week since wrapping up their first-round series, and were down three goals in the first period on the road against the top-seeded team.

Hockey fans across Canada are preparing themselves for the annual thrill and torment that arrives with the NHL playoffs.

Fresh off adding center Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Sean Walker, the Colorado Avalanche made two more moves by bringing in forward Yakov Trenin from Nashville and forward Brandon Duhaime from Minnesota.

The NHL trade deadline is still three weeks away, and yet three of the top teams in the Western Conference have already made an addition.

Sam Reinhart scored three times for his seventh career hat trick, and the surging Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 8-4 on Saturday for their seventh straight win.

Marc-Andre Fleury wore a mask for warmups on the Minnesota Wild's Native American Heritage night after being told by the NHL that was not allowed.

The Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights have all won their first six games of the NHL season.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed defenseman Devon Toews to a seven-year contract extension worth $50.75 million.

Given what’s taken place in the past, there are two certainties as Las Vegas celebrates with the Cup this summer.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is set to undergo a cartilage transplant operation in the hopes of alleviating a long-term injury to his right knee.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, Philipp Grubauer was stellar in stopping 33 shots and the Seattle Kraken eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche with a 2-1 win in Game 7.

A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano is sidelined indefinitely after he suffered a fracture in his neck during Game 6 in Seattle.

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, including an empty-net goal in the closing seconds, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 to force a Game 7 in their first-round playoff series.

The Colorado Avalanche are not commenting on the status of forward Valeri Nichushkin, who has been away from the team for a few days.

Devon Toews scored with 7:01 remaining to complete Colorado’s rally from two goals down as the Avalanche beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece.

It took until the final day of the NHL regular season to set all eight matchups for the first round of the playoffs.

Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Saturday night.

Matthew Tkachuk scored his second goal of the game with 3:30 remaining and the Florida Panthers beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 after blowing a three-goal lead in the third period Tuesday night.

Jack Hughes scored on a power play early in the third period and Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves for his first shutout with New Jersey in the Devils’ 1-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin each scored two power-play goals, Mikko Rantanen had four assists and the fast-skating Colorado Avalanche began their Stanley Cup title defense with a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Colorado Avalanche are making Nathan MacKinnon the highest-paid player in the NHL’s salary cap era.

Gritty forward Nazem Kadri has signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Calgary Flames.

The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms with left winger Ondrej Palat on a $30 million, five-year contract.

The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche have brought back defenseman Josh Manson with a four-year deal worth $18 million.

Executives around the NHL expect plenty of movement before free agency opens Wednesday.

Colorado, Chicago and Pittsburgh all made key moves ahead of the NHL draft with the Stanley Cup champion Avalanche making a deal to shore up their goaltending situation and the Penguins ensuring a long-time defenseman was sticking around.

The parade through the streets of Denver to celebrate the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup title offered a little bit of everything.

The city will celebrate the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup title with a parade through the streets of downtown Denver.

The Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup showed the value of speed and skill in a league dramatically tilting in that direction.

Cale Makar has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup title since 2001 and third in franchise history.

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t relinquish their stronghold on the Stanley Cup without a fight.

The Colorado Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup after dethroning the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Colorado Avalanche face their biggest task yet in the Stanley Cup Final looking to close out the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 on the road.

The Colorado Avalanche were stymied in their quest to close out the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday night.

The Tampa Bay Lightning spoiled Colorado’s party and they are still in the hunt for a third straight Stanley Cup title after beating the Avalanche 3-2 in Game 5.

Nazem Kadri scored at 12:02 of overtime — perhaps with too many Colorado players on the ice — and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to move within a victory of dethroning the two-time defending champion Lightning.

The Colorado Avalanche got a key player back with the return of Nazem Kadri for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado not only failed to take a stranglehold in the Stanley Cup Final after a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 3 but also wound up with goaltending questions.

Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period and beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

It’s no secret Tampa Bay has played more hockey over the past two years than any other team in the NHL.

The fast-flying Colorado Avalanche have zoomed out to a 2-0 series lead over Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning shrugged off their overtime loss to Colorado in the opener of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Colorado Avalanche overwhelmed the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning shows the value of hitting on top picks in the NHL draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning say they are unfazed after losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche are expected to stick with goaltender Darcy Kuemper in goal for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

For much of the game it looked as if the Colorado Avalanche and not the Tampa Bay Lightning were the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

Andre Burakovsky scored 1:23 into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is projecting record revenue this season.

The Stanley Cup Final is a showdown between the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning and the high-scoring Colorado Avalanche.

The two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning face the best in the West Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Wednesday in Denver.

The Colorado Avalanche didn't need to be fully healthy to sweep the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference final.

Nazem Kadri had three assists in a 2:04 span in the second period, backup Pavel Francouz stopped 24 shots for his second career playoff shutout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

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Darren Helm scored with 5.6 seconds left and Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 shots as the Colorado Avalanche finished off their second-round series with a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 6.

Tyler Bozak scored 3:38 into overtime and the St. Louis Blues fended off elimination in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Nazem Kadri scored three goals, including two during a four-goal second period barrage, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-3 to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference series.

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 in Game 3 of their second-round series.

Josh Manson scored 8:02 into overtime, Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves in his return to the net from an eye injury, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The New York Rangers will play the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Valeri Nichushkin scored the game-winning goal with 7:58 left, and the Colorado Avalanche became the first team to advance to the second round Monday night by finishing a sweep of the Nashville Predators 5-3 Monday night.

Gabriel Landeskog scored twice in the second period, and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 7-3 for a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

Colorado goaltender Darcy Kuemper yanked his mask off and fell to the ice holding his head after being struck by a stick Saturday.

Cale Makar scored 8:31 into overtime, Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves on his 32nd birthday and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Nathan MacKinnon and Devon Toews scored 22 seconds apart in a five-goal first period, sending the Colorado Avalanche to a 7-2 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

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Nathan MacKinnon had three goals and two assists, Nicolas Aube-Kubel scored twice in a dominant first period and the Colorado Avalanche set a franchise record with their 53rd win by routing the Los Angeles Kings 9-3.

Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and the Colorado Avalanche clinched a playoff spot with a 6-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguin.

Ethan Bear scored the game’s first goal with 5:40 left and Sebastian Aho added an empty-netter to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Thursday night.

Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for his second shutout this season, Gabriel Landeskog scored two goals and the streaking Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 4-0.

Alex Galchenyuk was the only scorer in the shootout and the Arizona Coyotes rallied to beat Colorado 3-2, snapping the Avalanche’s 18-game home winning streak.

Gabriel Landeskog tied the game with 36.5 seconds left in regulation and Cale Makar scored a power-play goal 3:01 into overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied past the Boston Bruins 4-3 for their 17th straight home victory.

Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen scored, Pavel Francouz made 23 saves for his third career shutout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 to extend their franchise-record home winning streak to 16 games.