Colorado seeks revenge against Stars for last year’s elimination
Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen will face off against his former team in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
By: River Wilcox
The Avalanche (49-29-4) finished third in the Central Division with 102 points, and the Dallas Stars (50-25-6) sit right ahead with 106 points. Both teams rely on high-powered offense and rank in the top five for goals per game.
Dallas will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series. Both teams performed better in their own barns this season, but Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger shines particularly bright in front of his home crowd. With a 24-7-1 record at home this season, Oettinger will the Avs’ biggest obstacle on the road.
In the regular season series, the home team won every game. Colorado lost 5-3 in Dallas on Nov. 29. At home, the Avs won 6-3 on Jan. 18 and 4-3 in overtime on March 16 to take the series 2-1. Cale Makar was on fire in those three games recording three goals and four assists.
The Avalanche are led by forward Nathan MacKinnon, who’s coming off another Hart Trophy-caliber season with 116 points. Cale Makar is fresh off a career-best 92-point season. Martin Necas has put up impressive numbers in his short time with Colorado, tallying 28 points in 30 games.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood boasts a .913 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average (GAA). Backup Scott Wedgewood has a .917 save percentage with 1.99 GAA. Both goaltenders were traded near the start of the season, with Wedgewood acquired from Nashville on Nov. 30 and Blackwood from San Jose on Dec. 9.
All eyes will be on Valeri Nichushkin as he returns for another playoff run after last year’s mid-series suspension in round two against Dallas. Nichushkin violated the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, which he first entered in 2023 after stepping away from the team amid their series against the Seattle Kraken. Nichushkin rejoined the Avalanche on Nov. 15, 2024 after a six-month suspension, and recorded 34 points in 43 games.
The Avalanche are also expected to see the return of Captain Gabriel Landeskog, who has not played in the NHL since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. Landeskog underwent knee cartilage replacement surgery in May 2023 after missing the entire 2022-23 season, and has been recovering and conditioning ever since. On April 11, he played his first professional hockey game in 1,020 days with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, and scored his first goal in 1,027 days the next evening.
The Stars’ key players include Matt Duchene with 81 points and Jason Robertson with 80 points. Notably, Duchene scored the game six, double-overtime goal that eliminated the Avs last postseason. Robertson left the ice with a lower-body injury Wednesday night against the Nashville Predators, casting doubt on his availability against the Avalanche. Veteran Tyler Seguin was activated from long-term injured reserve on Wednesday and will boost the Stars’ top-six in Robertson’s absence.
Goaltender Jake Oettinger has a .911 save percentage with a 2.48 GAA. Backup Casey DeSmith has a .923 save percentage with a 2.63 GAA.
Alternate captain Miro Heiskanen presents the biggest uncertainty for the Stars’ roster, as he’s been off the ice with a knee injury since late January. Dallas may be without their top defenseman against Colorado, as Heiskanen is rumored to miss the entire first-round series.
Perhaps the biggest storyline of the series will be the matchup of the Stars’ Mikko Rantanen against his former team of 10 years. Rantanen was traded in a blockbuster deal with Carolina, then dealt to Dallas ahead of the trade deadline. He then proceeded to sign an 8-year, $96 million deal with the Avs’ division rivals.
In last year’s playoffs, Colorado struggled with low scoring against Dallas, especially after the loss of Valeri Nichushkin. Dallas had the most complete roster in the league, and the Avs’ bottom-six depth couldn’t keep up. This year, with a healthy roster, increased depth, and the return of their captain, the Avalanche will be a force to be reckoned with.