Game 5 featured a dominant performance by the Avalanche and a spectacular showing from MacKinnon, but unfortunately Colorado fell short in the loss and will now look to close the series out in St. Louis in Friday's Game 6.
After failing to bury the first goal of the game in the first four games of the series, the Avalanche struck first - powered by a two-goal effort from MacKinnon - in Game 5 to take a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Just 3:51 into the period, MacKinnon - who had yet to score a goal in this series - provided the Avalanche the game's icebreaker on an odd-man rush. With Artturi Lehkonen skating down the left flank and approaching the net, he dropped a pass into the slot for MacKinnon, who wired a low slot blocker side of Husso.
The Avalanche continued to control much of the play - and took an eventual 18-9 shot total for the period - and capitalized on their first power play of the game late in the frame. After Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo went to the box for holding the stick of Darren Helm at 17:34, MacKinnon notched his second strike. The electric centerman drove to the net and put a backhander at Husso. While the St. Louis goalie came up with the initial stop, the Avs benefitted from a fortunate sequence as the initial rebound hit off Colton Parayko and into the net.
The Avalanche furthered their lead up to three goals early in the second period and after killing off a penalty. After Landeskog won an offensive zone faceoff draw, MacKinnon played the puck out to the point. Devon Toews unleashed his shot towards the crowded net front and the Avs captain extended his stick to redirect the puck past Husso's blocker giving his team a 3-0 lead at 4:02.
The Blues trimmed their deficit down 3-1 late in the third period. The Avalanche failed to convert on a power play and then subsequently killed a penalty leading up to the St. Louis goal. A Blues shot was accidentally blocked by Brayden Schenn and popped out into the slot. Tarasenko curled in, grabbed the puck and sniped his shot over Kuemper's left shoulder at 14:42.
St. Louis continued to chip away as they made it a 3-2 game at 9:57 in the third period. Pavel Buchnevich stickhandled into draw Bowen Byram and Erik Johnson towards him then dropped back a pass to Thomas where he ripped his shot to the far side past Kuemper's stick.
The Blues tied the game up at 15:14 on a long shift. Alexei Toropchenko fired a shot at Kuemper. The Avalanche netminder made the stop and shifted to the top of his crease, but the rebound found Faulk down low where he banked in the loose puck for St. Louis' late equalizer.
But only two minutes later, MacKinnon did what only MacKinnon can do. The Avs centerman went end-to-end as he blitzed up ice past St. Louis's blueline toe dragged past Nick Leddy and went backhand-to-forehand and popped his shot over Husso to restore the lead to Colorado.
With just 56 seconds on the clock - and Husso pulled in exchange for the extra attacker -, the Blues executed a high-to-low passing sequence and once again tied the score. Kuemper made the initial stop on Tarasenko's sharp goal line shot - as it struck him in the mask - but the netminder lost sight of the puck and his stance. The array puck shot out to the backdoor where Thomas tapped it in for the 4-4 equalizer.
