Now or never for the Colorado Avalanche.
Down 3-1 in the second-round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars, the Avs need something special to keep their season alive. They need it now more than ever, going to Texas with the home looking to end the series.
Even though Colorado started the season series 3-0, they have gone 1-4 against Dallas since then. They’ll need the same magic they had in the first three games and Game One of this series to force a Game Six back in Denver.
Colorado Avalanche (5-4-1)
The Avs dropped Game Four 5-1, which was by far the worst game of the series. Of course, the news of Valeri Nichushkin’s suspension sent shockwaves through the Avalanche fanbase, coaching staff, and locker room. Hence, their performance was shaky at best in a dismal showing.
Now, they’ll be looking to move beyond the news. The team will look to get it out of their system and rebound in Game Five. They’ll need all the help they can get, with Nathan MacKinnon recognizing his game was “bad” in a post-practice presser with DNVR’s Meghan Angley.
He’ll likely be paired with Jonathan Drouin again in his second playoff game with the Avalanche. We’ll have to wait and see if Devon Toews can return from illness, as he is feeling better and traveling to Dallas, or if the team will roll with Caleb Jones or someone else in defense. With Alexandar Georgiev now thriving in these playoffs, can the team in front of him show up to stop a stubborn Dallas side and take the series back to Colorado?
Projected Lines
Jonathan Drouin (27) – Nathan MacKinnon (29) – Mikko Rantanen (96)
Artturi Lehkonen (62) – Casey Mittelstadt (37) – Zach Parise (9)
Miles Wood (28) – Ross Colton (20) – Joel Kiviranta (94)
Andrew Cogliano (11) – Yakov Trenin (73) – Brandon Duhaime (12)
Devon Toews (7) – Cale Makar (8)
Sam Girard (49) – Josh Manson (42)
Jack Johnson (3) – Sean Walker (26)
Alexandar Georgiev (40)
Dallas Stars (7-3-1)
Dallas has shown they are no pushover, even with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights taking them to the brink in seven games in the first round. Their recent performances against the Avalanche have arguably made them the Stanley Cup favorite, considering their last two opponents in the playoffs.
The story has been Wyatt Johnston, who is simply on fire in these playoffs. He scored two goals in Game Four and now has 11 points in 11 games (7G, 4A) from the second line. His support from Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene has been great along the way.
However, injury concerns surround two players: Roope Hintz and Chris Tanev. Both still have question marks surrounding their status for the game, which could influence their lineup. Tanev is crucial to their depth of and will play, while Hintz misses out with Radek Faksa coming in. No matter who plays, can the Stars close out this series at home and move on to their second consecutive Western Conference Final?
Projected Lines
Jason Robertson (21) — Tyler Seguin (91) — Logan Stankoven (11)
Jamie Benn (16) — Wyatt Johnston (53) — Joe Pavelski (16)
Mason Marchment (27) — Matt Duchene (95) — Evgenii Dadonov (63)
Craig Smith (15) — Radek Faksa (18) — Sam Steel (18)
Thomas Harley (55) – Miro Heiskanen (4)
Esa Lindell (23) – Chris Tanev (3)
Ryan Suter (20) – Nils Lundkvist (5)
Jake Oettinger (29)
Broadcast Details
Time: 6:00 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN, Sportsnet, TVAS
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio FM 92.5
Opponent’s Beat: Defending Big D