The Dallas Stars and Pete DeBoer are living rent-free in Colorado’s minds. Three of the Avalanche's last six playoff runs have ended at the hands of their Central Division rivals, and head coach Jared Bednar has endured losses to DeBoer in four of his last seven seasons. While former fan favourite Matt Duchene’s 2OT winner last year set a new low for Avs faithful, nothing could have prepared them for the end of this season’s saga .

Drafted 10th overall in 2015, Mikko Rantanen scored 681 points in an Avalanche jersey, including 25 points to help win the 2022 Stanley Cup. After being traded to Carolina and then Dallas this year, Rantanen stunned his former club by scoring a third period hat trick, the first in NHL history, to send Colorado packing. Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland stated t

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