The Stars needed a response, and it couldn’t have come in more convincing fashion. Scoring just nine seconds into Game 5 at American Airlines Center, the Stars showed up from the start and took down the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Monday to take a 3-2 series lead.

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 quest for the Stanley Cup will continue in a crucial, must-win Game 6 for the Colorado Avalanche Thursday.