Game Story: While the Colorado Avalanche (hashtag#GoAvsGo) are my Stanley Cup pick in 2025, this series with the Dallas Stars (hashtag#TexasHockey) is going to bust a lot of brackets. But that is what a (2)-(3) format can do. Even in an opener. it’s DAL that needs a turnaround quickly. Coverage w/Alec Nava here.
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National Hockey League (NHL) Turner (Turner Broadcasting System, Inc) hashtag#stanleycup hashtag#playoffs
(3C) Colorado Avalanche (49-29-4, 102 PTS) HC: Jared Bednar Top Performers: Nathan MacKinnon (32-84-116 +25); Cale Makar (30-62-92 +28); Artturi Lehkonen (69 GP, 27-18-45 +36); Devon Toews (10-34-44 +30)
Key Defensive Pairs: Cale Makar (30-62-92 +28); Devon Toews (10-34-44 +30)
Welcome In (All w/COL): Martin Necas (30 GP, 11-17-28 +1); Jack Drury (33 GP, 5-4-9); Brock Nelson (19 GP, 6-7-13 +6); Charlie Coyle (19 GP, 2-11-13 +5);
COL Outlook: This is a team alongside general manager Chris MacFarland and team president Joe Sakic that has remade the entire roster during the season. Loads of center depth (MacKinnon, Nelson, Coyle, Drury); Defense: Ryan Lindgren, Keaton Middleton, Erik Johnson Goalies: Alexandar Georgiev, Justus Annunen, Kaapo Kahkonen and Trent Miner (AHL Goaltending) Sure, this matchup will bust brackets… (who knows what we will see) but I’m still taking COL to get to the Stanley Cup Finals with TB, and if I had to pick a team… it’s COL.
(2C) Dallas Stars (50-26-6, 106 PTS) HC: Peter DeBoer Top Performers: Matt Duchene (30-51-81 +14); Jason Robertson (35-45-80 +10); Wyatt Johnston (33-38-71 +2); Roope Hintz (28-39-67 +18); Jamie Benn (16-33-49 +3); Mason Marchment (21-25-46 +15)
Key Defensive Pairs: Thomas Harley (16-34-50 +33); Esa Lindell (5-21-26 +35);
The injuries of Jason Robertson (Week-to-Week); Defense: Miro Heiskanen (Maybe Our R1); Nils Lundkvist (Season); Returns: Tyler Seguin (19 GP, 9-11-20 +14); Mikko Rantanen (w/ DAL, 19 GP, 5-13-18 +6) Is still third-leading scorer on COL (49 GP, 25-39-64 +12);
DAL Outlook: 0-5-2 in the last seven games to end the regular season. Five goals against, 40 to 50+ shots against nothing close. It was a seven-game win streak prior. The issue (besides having a matchup that could be played as a Western Conference Final) is that the injuries of Robertson and Heiskanen are critical. Lindell and Harley need to stay split, as a result it does mean that Cody Ceci and Ilya Lyubushkin need to play top minutes. If DAL wins that side of the ice, that’s going to be the clear decider on who wins this series.
Goaltending Matchup: (All Since Trade to COL) MacKenzie Blackwood (37 GP, 22-12-3, 2.33 GAA, .913 SV, 3 SO); Scott Wedgewood (19 GP, 13-4-1, 1.99 GAA, .917 SV, 2 SO) vs. Jake Oettinger (36-17-4, 2.53 GAA, .911 SV, 2 SO); Casey DeSmith (14-8-2, 2.63 GAA, .913 SV, 2 SO)
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