Avalanche fail to close series after blowing 3-0 lead in 5-4 OT loss

While the Colorado Avalanche still have two more opportunities to close out this series, this is a loss that will certainly haunt them if they fail to do so and lose in the second round for the fourth straight season.

It had all the makings of a classic hockey story to be told for years, especially with the stars coming to play. That started with their franchise superstar Nathan MacKinnon taking the game over scoring both goals in the first period to give the Avs a 2-0 lead. The captain Gabriel Landeskog scored early in the second to increase the lead to 3-0, and it seemed like the Avs were on their way to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2002.

But just like that, Vladimir Tarasenko planted the seed of doubt midway through the second with his first of the series to make it 3-1. That momentum then carried into the third period, with Robert Thomas and Justin Faulk scoring their first goals of the postseason to tie the game within six minutes of each other.

But MacKinnon was having none of that, as he went back to taking over the game just two minutes later. He went the full length of the ice, dangling Marco Scandella and Ville Husso to give the Avs the lead again with an absolutely gorgeous goal.