It's been a few years since the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but that doesn't mean they're not familiar with each other.
The two have battled in the Central Division for many seasons, with the Stars winning the division and the Avalanche finishing third in 2023-24. The Stars are trying to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1999 and the Avalanche are looking to claim it again after winning in 2022.
The Avalanche and Stars begin the Western Conference Second Round with Game 1 at American Airlines Center on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN360, SN, TVAS). The Stars, who eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 win in Game 7 of the first round Monday, have many believing this is their year. But the Avalanche, who knocked off the Winnipeg Jets in five games in their first-round series, make for a formidable opponent and know what it takes this time of year.
The Avalanche went 3-1-0 against the Stars in the regular season.
So who wins the second-round series between two of the West's best? That's the question before NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers and columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika.
Myers: Yes, I know, I took the Stars to go all the way in the various picks I've made, but I'm also up for a good argument and I could definitely see the Avalanche winning this series. Let's look at what they did to the Jets in the first round, shall we? They seemed to score at will, averaging 5.60 goals per game against the stingiest team in the regular season (2.41 goals-against per game, tied for first with Florida Panthers). Getting that many goals past Connor Hellebuyck, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy given to the top goalie in the NHL, was impressive. The Avalanche are deep, and their offense is firing on all cylinders. Does the nearly week-long respite they've had cause a problem? I don't think so. They were healthy coming out of the first round, minus the usual bumps and bruises. This may also give them some time to get Jonathan Drouin closer to coming back after the forward missed the first round with a lower-body injury. I'm so looking forward to this series. It's going to be a doozie, and the Avalanche could certainly advance.
Cotsonika: Right there with you, Tracey. I could definitely see Colorado winning this series, but I picked Dallas to win the Cup, and I'm sticking with the Stars in this series. They can play any way you want. The Avalanche were the highest-scoring team in the regular season (3.68 goals per game). Well, the Stars ranked third (3.59). The last time these teams played, the Stars won 7-4 in Denver on April 7, so they have shown they can defeat the Avalanche in a high-scoring game. Colorado has a lethal power play (37.5 percent, third in the postseason). Well, Dallas doesn't take many penalties. The Stars also can slow the rush game, lock it down defensively and win a tight series, like they showed against the Golden Knights in the first round, and they have the advantage in goal with Jake Oettinger. Dallas just defeated the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. The 2022 Stanley Cup champions are next.
Myers: For sure, the Stars have a lot of ways to play, which is good because the Avalanche bring a different style than the Golden Knights. There's a lot of speed, a lot of skill. OK, Vegas obviously has skill too, but we're talking Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar here. Big, saucy skill (yes, I said saucy). And though the Stars may not take many penalties, the Avalanche can defeat teams 5-on-5 as well as anyone. They scored 17 goals at 5-on-5 in the first round, most of any team in the postseason. Again, this was a tough take for me to make given where I've gone with my picks previously, but the Avalanche made me a believer after the first round. I thought that series would be tight, going six or seven games. I was wrong on both counts. Man, how great is this series going to be?
Cotsonika: Right there with you again, Tracey. The Avalanche are scary good, and this should be a great series. The Stars are excellent at 5-on-5. This is a deep lineup with layers of veterans and up-and-coming players. They have top-end guys like Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Chris Tanev has been a huge addition to the back end. They have Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Ryan Suter. Thomas Harley has made strides. Logan Stankoven has been a revelation. Their first-round heroes included bottom-six forwards Evgenii Dadonov, Ty Dellandrea and Radek Faksa. The Avalanche just won four out of five games against an outstanding team. Well, after falling in a 2-0 hole, so did the Stars. That should set them up to squeak past the Avalanche in another competitive, entertaining series.
