DENVER (AP) — Matt Duchene took off down the ice, slid on his knees and pumped his right glove after the Dallas Stars Beat Avs in Double OT to Advance to Western Conference Final
That’s what the video will show anyway. Because his big moment was pretty much a big blur. He just knows what it meant: The Dallas Stars are heading back to the Western Conference final.
Duchene scored at 11:42 of the second overtime after being involved in a play that led to a goal disallowed for goaltender interference in the first extra period, and the Stars advanced with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Friday night.
Duchene, a 2009 draft pick of the Avalanche, secured a loose puck in front of the net and sent it over a sprawled out Alexandar Georgiev to start the celebration. He was too exhausted, too caught up in the moment, to take it all in.
“Just elation,” Duchene said. “I was so tired, I started skating and then I got tired. I don’t even know what I did after that, to be honest with you. I was pretty pumped up.”
In the locker room after the game, the Stars celebrated by blaring an almost fitting tune — “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver.
Dallas advances to face either Edmonton or Vancouver next. It’s the second straight trip to the conference final for the Stars, who lost last season to eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas. The Stars won their only Stanley Cup title in 1999.
“The dream’s still alive,” Stars forward Joe Pavelski said.
Prior: Stars look to close game 6.
