Throw regular season record out window entering Stars, Avs series

Game 1: Stars vs. Avalanche

7 p.m., Rogers Place

TV:NBC, Ch. 5

Radio:The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM

While the Stars held a 4-0-0 record against the Avalanche this season, Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said the games were very difficult and that Colorado had long stretches of strong play. In fact, the Avalanche had a 162-137 advantage in shots on goal, and Dallas had to get great goaltending to win.

That said, Bowness did compliment his team for a "bend-but-don't-break" attitude.

"There's a lot of respect for that team," said Bowness, who pointed out the Avalanche as a team to watch when the Stars began the league's Return to Play.

"We'll have to be on our best in terms of team defense, and bend but don't break. That's what we did the four games against them. I think (the 4-0-0 record) is misleading, because they outplayed us and our goaltending was sensational, and we didn't break. We found ways to eke out wins, whether that was overtime or shootout. So that's going to be our same mental approach.

"When they're on their offensive game, we're going to bend a little, just don't break."

Colorado leads the NHL in playoff scoring so far at 3.88 goals per game, and Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon is tied for the NHL lead in playoff scoring with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in eight games. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists for three points in four games during the season series against Dallas.

The Avalanche are the home team tonight and have the last change, so Dallas could struggle getting the match-ups it wants. Still, Bowness said he has faith in the checking ability of all lines, and said they just have to adopt a mentality that they will be aggressive on the forecheck and also resilient throughout the game.

"There's going to be times where we're really good defensively in slowing them up and there's going to be times when they're coming at us in waves. There's going to be times when we can shut them down in the defensive zone, and there's going to be times when they have control of the puck and they're dominating us on the outside. They do that to every team," Bowness said.

"So there are going to be a lot of ebbs and flows to this. We're looking at this as another long series, and that's fine. That's a highly-skilled team, hey have some great players, elite players, over there. They're fast, they're young , they come at you in waves. We're prepared for what we're going to be seeing tonight."

Veteran forward Andrew Cogliano, who is a part of the "FCC" line that will try to check MacKinnon's line, said he believes the Stars did learn a lot during the season series.

"It takes a lot of work, and mentally as players we talk about when they have their pushes and have their zone time, which they're going to get, you have to do a good job of recognizing that and realizing that's when you have to defend," Cogliano said. "If we can do that as a team, shift in and shift out, that's going to create some frustration and limit their chances and then we can go the other way with it."

Bishop, Johns still out; Janmark a game-time decision

Bowness said Saturday morning that Ben Bishop and Stephen Johns are still "unfit to play," the NHL's description for any ailment while play is occurring in the bubble. Bowness said Bishop, who last played in Game 2 against Calgary, did not skate in the morning.

That means Jake Oettinger will be the backup to Anton Khudobin again.

Bowness said Mattias Janmark, who missed the last game with what is believed to be a foot injury after blocking a shot in Game 5, is a game-time decision. If Janmark can't play, Joel Kiviranta is expected to step back in.

Kiviranta, 24, has played in two playoff games this season, including logging 13:12 in Game 6's 7-3 win Thursday. Kiviranta had an assist and was plus-4 in the game.

"Kivi played very, very well," Bowness said. "We were very happy with Kivi. He was a little nervous at times, but that's to be expected. What he does is the speed and the energy and he's physical for a little guy. He doesn't take a step backward, so we were very happy with his play."

Stevens explains `Coach Rambo' nickname

Stars forward Mattias Janmark referenced "Coach Rambo" in a Zoom call this week and that prompted everyone to ask: "Who's coach Rambo?"

Coach Rambo is assistant coach John Stevens. The former NHL and minor league player spent some time in the Flyers organization, and the nickname was coined at the time. The defenseman was a fan of fitness and weightlifting, and the Rambo movie franchise was buzzing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so "Rambo" was an easy selection for his teammates.

"It was that … and I mumbled a lot," Stevens joked in his trademark deadpan style.

Stevens said as he started coaching in the NHL and then moved off to Los Angeles for the past decade, the nickname went away. However, he was minor league teammates with Jim Montgomery in Philadelphia, and when Montgomery became Stars head coach last season, the "Rambo" nickname came back.

"It's strange how those things happen," Stevens said. "Monty just started calling me that from our old days together, and now everybody does."

By the numbers

3.88

Colorado leads the playoffs in scoring per game at 3.88 goals. It also leads in goals against average at 1.63, and in goal differential at plus-2.25. The Avalanche also have the best power play (30.6 percent) and the fewest shots on goal per game (24.1) in the post-season.

36

That's the amount of points that Tyler Seguin has in 31 career games against the Avalanche. Seguin has scored 17 goals and added 19 assists in that span.

Plus-18

That's Joe Pavelski's plus-minus in 46 career games against Colorado. Pavelski has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in that span.

He said it

"I like starting as soon as possible, to be honest with you. We're liking the fact we don't have too much time off in between games. I'm sure Dallas is kind of the same way. Just keep playing. It's what we're all here to do."

-- Colorado coach Jared Bednar on the quick turnaround for the start of the second round of the playoffs

Stars projected lineup

Jamie Benn - Tyler Seguin - Alexander Radulov

Joel Kiviranta - Joe Pavelski - Denis Gurianov

Andrew Cogliano - Radek Faksa - Blake Comeau

Roope Hintz - Jason Dickinson - Corey Perry

Esa Lindell - John Klingberg

Jamie Oleksiak - Miro Heiskanen

Andrej Sekera - Taylor Fedun

Anton Khudobin

Jake Oettinger

Game-time decision: Mattias Janmark

Unfit to Play:Stephen Johns, Ben Bishop

Scratched:Justin Dowling, Jason Robertson, Ty Dellandrea, Thomas Harley, Joel Kiviranta, Nick Caamano, Joel Hanley, Gavin Bayreuther, Landon Bow

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.