(1C) Stars at (3C) Avalanche
Western Conference Second Round, Game 3
10 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN1, SN, TVAS
Best-of-7 series tied 1-1
DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche will look to continue their success at home in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena on Saturday.
The Avalanche were 31-9-1 at home in the regular season and 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs here. In Dallas, they came back from a 3-0 deficit in Game 1 to defeat the Stars 4-3 in overtime but couldn’t overcome being down 4-0 in Game 2 on Thursday, a 5-3 loss.
Colorado likes its comeback ability but doesn’t want to put itself in that position too often.
“We were able to do it the first night, but I felt like the first night it was an evenly-matched game and they just capitalized on some [chances], and we would need to do the same to stay with it,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “But our base of play last game in Game 2 just wasn't good enough, and that's hard to climb out of. [It’s] harder than if you're playing well and trading some chances here and there and you just can't capitalize.
“That's the game of hockey, but Game 2 just wasn't up to the standard that we want to have, especially in the second period.”
The Stars finished the regular season with the best road record (26-10-5) and are 2-1 thus far in the playoffs.
“We have a good road formula, but you’re putting it up against the best home team in the League; that’s always a great test and that’s a tough building to play in,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “It’s a tough building to make sure you handle the momentum swings of the game properly because once the crowd gets into it and that team feeds off that, like Vegas (Golden Knights), they can get two or three really quickly on you. You have to manage all those things.”
Here are 3 keys for Game 3:
1. Stars need their stars
Dallas has strong depth, but it still needs its top players to produce. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored twice in Game 2, and forward Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists. The Stars need more performances like those.
“Those are our horses, so when they’re going, I think it just kind of pushes everyone else too,” Dallas forward Mason Marchment said. “We’re looking for those guys to keep stepping up and making those plays. We need them."
2. Getting MacKinnon, Rantanen going
Bednar said after Game 2 he wanted more out of top-line center Nathan MacKinnon and right wing Mikko Rantanen; each was held off the score sheet Thursday, when the Stars did what they could to blanket them (MacKinnon had three shots on goal; Rantanen one).
Rantanen said the two will work on getting going again.
“You try to learn from the game and try to watch some stuff we can do better as a line (with Valeri Nichushkin) and individuals, where we can be more on the ice. Just try to reset,” Rantanen said. “You try not to get frustrated, but obviously you try to be effective offensively, get some chances. Last game on 5-on-5 they were able to defend pretty well against us, so we have to find some solutions and find some room out there.”
Nichushkin will look to become the third player in NHL history to have an eight-game goal streak at any point of the playoffs (Reggie Leach, Philadelphia Flyers, 10 games in 1976; Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning, nine games in 2021).
3. Battle of special teams
Colorado went 2-for-2 on the power play in Game 1, but Dallas responded in Game 2 when it scored twice with the man-advantage and went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill with a short-handed goal.
The Avalanche took two delay-of-game penalties Thursday, and another two for too many men on the ice.
“Special teams won us the first game and lost us the second game. Kind of plain and simple,” Colorado defenseman Josh Manson said. “In the playoffs, if you win the special teams battle you have a really good chance to go a long way.
“Our power play is essential for us, and our PK we have to be a little bit better and be more disciplined. Last game, [there were] four penalties that were all self-inflicted. If we clean that up, tighten up on the penalty kill, we’ll have a better chance.”
Stars projected lineup
Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Logan Stankoven
Mason Marchment -- Tyler Seguin -- Matt Duchene
Jamie Benn -- Wyatt Johnston -- Joe Pavelski
Evgenii Dadonov -- Sam Steel -- Craig Smith
Thomas Harley -- Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell -- Chris Tanev
Ryan Suter -- Nils Lundkvist
Jake Oettinger
Scott Wedgewood
Scratched: Ty Dellandrea, Radek Faksa
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body)
Avalanche projected lineup
Valeri Nichushkin -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Artturi Lehkonen -- Casey Mittelstadt -- Zach Parise
Miles Wood -- Ross Colton -- Joel Kiviranta
Brandon Duhaime -- Yakov Trenin -- Andrew Cogliano
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Samuel Girard -- Josh Manson
Jack Johnson -- Sean Walker
Alexandar Georgiev
Justus Annunen
Scratched: Jean-Luc Foudy, Arvid Holm, Caleb Jones, Nikolai Kovalenko, Chris Wagner
Injured: Jonathan Drouin (lower body)
Status report
The Stars will not make any lineup changes from Game 2. … Drouin, a forward, participated in the morning skate in a noncontact jersey but isn't expected to play.
