This seems like the only fitting end for the Stars and Avalanche, a Game 7 in the NHL playoffs

DALLAS (AP) — Pete DeBoer has never lost a Game 7 as an NHL coach. Jared Bednar has never won one.

They will be on opposite benches when the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche play what seems like the only fitting end for their first-round series in this year's NHL playoffs — a Game 7 on Saturday night.

“Honestly, Jared Bednar and I are not going to have a big impact on this game,” DeBoer said. “The players are going to decide that. Both teams know each other. It’s who goes out and executes and gets big games from the right guys.”

Still, there are a lot of different records that align heavily toward the Stars, who will be at home for a Game 7 for the third season in a row.

— DeBoer is 8-0 in Game 7s with four different teams, including each of the past two postseasons since getting to Dallas and reaching the Western Conference Final both times. No other coach has won more Game 7s, with Darryl Sutter 8-3 in them.

— Bednar is 0-3 in Game 7s, all with the Avalanche, who have lost six in a row since 2002. He is also 0-3 overall in playoff series against DeBoer, including a seven-game loss in the second round to San Jose in 2019.

— The Stars are 3-0 against Colorado in Game 7s, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals after each of those. The two teams went seven games in the Western Conference Final in both 1999 and 2000. Then in the second round of the pandemic-impacted 2020 playoffs inside the Canadian bubble, the deciding game was tied four times before then-Stars rookie and current Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta completed a hat trick with an overtime goal that gave Dallas a 5-4 win.

This will be the 199th time a Game 7 has happened in the NHL playoffs, and the first this season.

“Personally not surprised it’s going to Game 7,” said Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen, who has been traded twice since being with the Avs in the playoffs the past seven seasons, including their 2022 Stanley Cup title. “It's two really good teams, and it's good for the hockey world to see this series.”

Colorado avoided elimination with a 7-4 win in Game 6, getting some fortunate and fluky bounces at home Thursday night.

This is the fourth year in a row for Dallas to be in a Game 7, with Jake Oettinger in net for all of them. The 26-year-old goalie has a .956 save percentage (108 of 113) and 1.54 goals against average the previous three, with the only loss coming in a first-round series at top-seeded Calgary in 2022 when he had 64 saves before an overtime goal by the late Johnny Gaudreau.

“We’ve all been there before,” Oettinger said. “We’ve won our last two Game 7s, we all know what we need to do to beat these guys.”

Colorado goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is in his first playoff series, and has a .899 save percentage while allowing 16 goals, two fewer than Oettinger.

DeBoer was still playing the underdog card soon after Game 6.

"No one gives us a chance to win this series and here we are, with one game at home to to advance,” DeBoer said.

Bednar wasn’t exactly buying it from a team that finished ahead of them in the Central Division and has home-ice advantage. The Stars are missing two key players in defenseman Miro Heiskanen and forward Jason Robertson, both sidelined with lower-body injuries.

“Hey, you build a narrative for your team to grab onto,” Bednar said. “This is a deep team. But we have our own narrative, too. We feel like we’re a team that can win, but you’ve got to go prove it.”

When/Where to Watch: Game 7, Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT (ABC)

Series: Tied 3-3.

Valeri Nichushkin was slamming his stick in frustration at practice before Game 6.

His sticks received the message as the Russian forward scored two goals, and he wasn't the only player to break out of a scoring funk in that elimination game for the Avalanche. Defenseman Cale Makar had a goal and two assists, while Martin Necas added his first goal of the series. Brock Nelson had two assists.

“That’s the theme of our team. You can’t just … you can’t go away,” Bednar said. “You just have to keep chipping away and battling to get better. Keep grinding and finding ways to get those looks that you need.”

Makar seems to raise his game when the stakes are high. He’s got four goals and eight assists over 11 games when the Avalanche are facing elimination.

“He’s going to get real hot here,” Bednar said.

Rantanen and Roope Hintz led a four-goal burst by Dallas in the second period of Game 6. Rantanen (one goal, three assists) and Hintz (two goals, two assists) became the first set of teammates in league history to each notch four points in a playoff period.

“Those periods obviously happen pretty rarely, but (we) try to do it as often as we can,” Rantanen said. "I think it was execution, and everybody wanted the puck, and we were just passing it around pretty well.”

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta, left, hooks his stick in the jersey of Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn in the third period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, left, celebrates after scoring with center Mikael Granlund in the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin, front, flips the puck over Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger for a goal in the third period of Game 6 of an NHL first-round hockey playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen, center, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard, left, and center Brock Nelson in the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, front, checks Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen, back, in the second period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) controls the puck during the first period of Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Monday, April 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, back center, talks to players during a time out in the third period of Game 6 of an NHL first-round hockey playoff series against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Dallas Stars head coach Peter DeBoer, back, looks at the overhead scoreboard as assistant coach Steve Spott confers with players during a time out in the third period of Game 6 of an NHL first-round hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m. and found a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman dead inside.

Detectives with the Robbery Homicide Division were investigating an “apparent homicide” at Reiner’s home, said Capt. Mike Bland with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Los Angeles police have not confirmed the identities of the people found dead at the residence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood on the city’s west side that’s home to many celebrities.

Reiner is long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work includes some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s, including “This is Spinal Tap,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”

His role as Meathead in the 1970s TV classic “All in the Family” alongside Carol O’Connor’s Archie Bunker catapulted him to fame.

Reiner turned 78 in March.

Messages to his representatives were not immediately returned Sunday night.

The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner has been married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing “When Harry Met Sally” and have three children together.

Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.

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Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed.

FILE - Rob Reiner arrives at the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network's Respect Awards, in Beverly Hills, Calif., Friday, Oct. 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)