Martin Necas has 2 goals to lead the short-handed Avs past the Stars, 3-2

DALLAS (AP) — Martin Necas scored two goals, including a 5-on-3 score, and the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Tuesday night in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Artturi Lehkonen also scored for the Avalanche, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 24 saves after allowing five goals on Saturday against Toronto. Nathan MacKinnon had two assists, giving him 12 points.

The Avalanche opened with 11 forwards and six defensemen when forward Zachary L’Heureux was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Colorado then played almost 17 minutes with 10 forwards when Fedor Svechkov drew a two-minute instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting and 10 more for misconduct. MacKinnon was also off the bench for more than seven minutes in the second after he fought Roope Hintz — who had his first NHL fight — and went to the locker room for facial repairs.

Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist, and Hintz also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots after allowing three goals in his previous four games, and Miro Heiskanen had two assists.

Colorado came in leading the NHL with 5.2 goals per game, while Dallas had a league-best 1.38 goals-against average.

Necas gave the Avs a 2-1 lead early in the second period and then doubled the lead with four seconds left in the 29-second, two-man advantage.

Seguin’s goal, tying the score late in the first period, was Dallas’ first home power-play goal in eight tries.

Cale Makar, the Avalanche’s two-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, didn’t make the trip with his wife expecting twins.

Stars forward Wyatt Johnston sat out with an illness after playing in all 395 games, regular season and playoffs, since he made the team in 2022. The Stars played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

The teams will meet again on Wednesday in Denver, where the Stars swept two meetings last season in shootouts.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Kaylin Lee, bottom, rings the bell as her parents react during a pregame moment celebrating Lee being cancer free prior to an NHL hockey game between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche right wing T.J. Hughes (13) hits the boards while competing for the puck against Dallas Stars defenseman Lian Bichsel (6) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger watches a shot by the Colorado Avalanche go wide of his net during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) skates with linesman Ben O'Quinn (91) after fighting with Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, not visible, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Cole Perfetti scored a pair of goals, Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Perfetti opened the scoring with his fourth of the season just 1:50 into the game. He added another late in the second period on the power play, converting a pass from Gabriel Vilardi in the slot.

Promoted to the top line with Scheifele and Kyle Connor, the trio combined for seven points against the Wild. Connor had a goal and assist. Connor now has goals in three straight games and in five of six games this season.

Perfetti now has five goals this season. Last season, the Jets winger needed 40 games to score five times.

Cole Koepke also scored for Winnipeg, which finished a three-game homestand 2-1.

Stuart Skinner made 19 saves and has yet to lose in regulation this season, with a 3-0-1 record.

Kirill Kaprizov scored both goals for the Wild, who were playing the second of back-to-back games after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night. Calvin Pickard stopped 20 shots. Kaprizov’s two goals gives him the NHL lead, with eight. Quinn Hughes’ assist extended his point streak to seven games. He has two goals and eight assists in that span.

Winnipeg went 1 for 2 on the power play, while Minnesota was 0 for 2.

Winnipeg never trailed in the game, taking 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads.

Wild: Host St. Louis on Thursday night.

Jets: At Chicago on Thursday night.

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Winnipeg Jets' Neal Pionk (4) deflects a shot by Minnesota Wild's Bobby Brink (10) during first period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during first period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (81) has a shot go over Minnesota Wild goaltender Calvin Pickard (31) and the net during first period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Tyrel Bauer (77) checks Minnesota Wild's Tyler Pitlick (19) during first period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets' Cole Perfetti (91) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild during second period NHL hockey action in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press via AP)