DALLAS (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche had gone a full week since wrapping up their first-round series, and were down three goals in the first period on the road against the top seed.

But once league MVP finalist Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs started getting back into the flow of things Tuesday night, the Dallas Stars seemed to suddenly get hit by the fatigue from closing out their tough opening Western Conference series with a Game 7 win just two nights earlier.

“Was definitely tough taking a week off. Took us a bit but once we found our legs, I thought we had a great second, great third,” said MacKinnon, who tied the game at 3-3 in the opening minute of the third period.

“At the end of the day, it’s playoff hockey, and there is just no quit,” said defenseman Cale Makar, who had a goal and two assists. “If you are going to look at this game I feel like, as a group, we just stuck with it and grinded it out and found a way to win it.”