DALLAS (AP) - Alexander Kerfoot scored in the first period and assisted on Nathan MacKinnon's winner, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Saturday night for their sixth straight win.
The Avalanche remained in last place in the tight Central Division but are only two points behind Dallas for the second wild card in the Western Conference.
Both teams were playing for the first time in a week. The Stars had won four of their previous five games.
MacKinnon made it 2-1 with 13:27 to play on a snap shot from the inside edge of the left faceoff circle. The puck went off goalie Ben Bishop and into the net.
Blake Comeau scored with 1:40 left, and Mark Barberio added an empty-net, short-handed goal.
Colorado's Jonathan Bernier made 27 saves for his fifth straight win while filling in for injured goalie Semyon Varlamov.
Jamie Benn had tied it with a rebound goal in the second period.
Colorado took a 1-0 lead 14:09 into the first period. Kerfoot skated down the left side to low in the faceoff circle and lifted a snap shot over Bishop.
Dallas outshot the Avalanche 9-6 in the first. On the Stars' best chance, Bernier stopped Benn's backhand on a breakaway.
The Stars won a challenge that disallowed an apparent Colorado goal at 7:03 of the second period. Referee Tim Peel announced that there had been "significant contact" with Bishop by Comeau. Bishop was down behind the goal when Matt Nieto appeared to tip a pass into the empty net.
At 18:20 of the third period, Comeau gained redemption with his goal on a snap shot from the left circle.
Dallas didn't have a shot on goal for the first 13:51 of the second, but regrouped and tied it at 15:43.
Alexander Radulov set up John Klingberg low in the slot for a wrist shot. Bernier made a pad save, but the rebound went to Benn, who wristed the puck over the goalie.
Colorado's Tyson Jost had an in-close chance against a sprawling Bishop with barely a minute left in the second, but the goalie made a skate save.
NOTES: Colorado's Nikita Zadorov had two assists. ... The Avalanche won the season series, three games to two. ... The Avalanche have successfully killed 45 of 47 power plays in 15 games, including all four on Saturday. ... Hall of Fame goalie Ed Belfour dropped the ceremonial first puck as the Stars and their fans continued to recognize the top players during their 25 years in Dallas.
UP NEXT
Avalanche: Begin a three-game homestand on Monday night vs. Anaheim.
Stars: Play at Boston on Monday night to open a four-game trip.
