It would be hard not to compare and contrast the current state of the Avalanche to what the organization faced after Game 4 against the Dallas Stars a season ago.

Johnston gave the Stars a 1-0 lead nine seconds into the first. Off the opening face-off, he chased down a dump-in to the right of the net and scored with a sharp-angled shot that deflected in off the side of Blackwood. The goal is tied for the fifth-fastest to begin a game in Stanley Cup Playoff history.

The Dallas Stars celebrate a goal by Mason Marchment during the second period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Dallas.