Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 29th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Dallas and Colorado have forged a rivalry over the past 25 years, starting when Derian Hatcher and Joe Sakic were the respective captains in the late 1990s as they battled for NHL supremacy.
The Central Division rivals will renew acquaintances when the Stars host the Avalanche on Friday night.
The last time the teams met was in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals in May. Dallas won it with a double-overtime goal by former Colorado star Matt Duchene. It was the sixth time since 1999 the teams met in the postseason, with the Stars winning four times.
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That history doesn't matter in the first of three games between the teams this season. For Dallas, the focus is getting back on track after two straight losses in which it allowed six goals in both games, the last a 6-2 setback at Chicago on Wednesday night.
"It's that old adage: You're never really as good as you think you are when you win, and you're never as bad as you think you are when you lose, most of the time," Duchene said. "This team, I don't think, has had a ton of adversity the last two years. There's a little bit coming at us right now.
"As long as we peak at the right time and work towards it, I think that's the only thing we can do. We've just got to keep figuring things out and working and pushing."
The Stars played Wednesday without center Roope Hintz, who missed the game after "tweaking something" Monday, according to coach Peter DeBoer. Hintz is listed as day-to-day.
The Avalanche are accustomed to playing without key players. They were nearly whole after Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Miles Wood returned a few games ago, while Ross Colton is slated to begin skating soon, but Drouin is now back on the injured list and is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Nichushkin has played well since coming off a six-month suspension. He has two goals, including the only one in regulation in their 2-1 shootout win over Vegas on Wednesday night, as well as the lone shootout goal.
"(Nichushkin) is getting there," Avs coach Jared Bednar said after the win. "His game is still coming. I do think his details have been tight and his puck play is starting to come."
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The return of top forwards has taken pressure off star center Nathan MacKinnon, who was leading the NHL in points before a scoring drought. After compiling eight points in three games, MacKinnon has just two over the last six.
MacKinnon has still been a force. He was double-shifted often in Wednesday's win over the Golden Knights and played a strong defensive game.
Just as important, Alexandar Georgiev was sharp in net after a rough night in Tampa on Monday. He made 18 saves in regulation and stopped all five attempts in the shootout when both teams had trouble scoring.
Georgiev was especially strong in the first period, when he made 10 stops to keep the game scoreless.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars Recap NOV 29TH 2024
Mason Marchment had two goals and an assist and Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had a goal and an assist each as the host Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 on Friday night.
Roope Hintz also scored, Jake Oettinger stopped 29 shots and Miro Heiskanen had two assists for Dallas, which snapped a two-game skid.
Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen also scored, Cale Makar had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves for Colorado.
Seguin gave Dallas a 1-0 lead on the power play when he beat Georgiev with a sharp-angle shot over the goalie's shoulder at 5:36 of the first period. It was his ninth goal of the season.
The Avalanche answered soon after on their first power play. Rantanen hit the post on a shot, the puck came down in front of the net and Nichushkin tapped it by Oettinger at 13:56 of the first.
It was Nichushkin's third of the season and second goal in as many games.
The Stars retook the lead 32 seconds later on an odd-man rush. Marchment passed it to Heiskanen, whose shot went off Georgiev's back before Marchment stuffed it inside the right post at 14:28.
Dallas scored twice in the second to take a commanding lead into the intermission. Benn made it 3-1 at 7:07 when Georgiev stopped Heiskanen's shot and Benn knocked in the rebound for his fifth of the season.
Hintz, who returned after missing a game, got a pass in the slot from Wyatt Johnston and one-timed it by Georgiev for his ninth goal, a power-play tally at 18:42 for a 4-1 Dallas lead.
Colorado got back in the game in the third. Lehkonen made it 4-2 just 1:02 into the period when his shot was tipped by Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and past Oettinger for his his fourth of the season.
Rantanen got the Avalanche within one with his team-leading 15th goal of the season at 8:03. Georgiev came off for an extra skater late but Marchment scored into the empty net at 17:17, his ninth of the season.