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Colorado Avalanche: Who Will Be the Toughest Round Robin Opponent?

By Nadia Archuleta

DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche checks Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars into the glass in the first period at American Airlines Center on November 05, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche checks Joe Pavelski #16 of the Dallas Stars into the glass in the first period at American Airlines Center on November 05, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 14: Roope Hinz #24 of the Dallas Stars fights for the puck against Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche in the second period at the Pepsi Center on January 14, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Dallas Stars

The Colorado Avalanche played the Dallas Stars four times this season. They didn’t have any more games scheduled. Yeah, unfortunately the Stars swept the series 0-2-2.

As you can see, though, two of those games went to overtime. Indeed, one went all the way to the shootout. So, it’s not like Dallas dominated Colorado. What’s more, one of the other games was close, 2-1.

Challenges from the Stars

On paper, the two teams are well matched. They both like to skate and shoot. So, a major challenge from the Stars is going to be the Avs — specifically their head space. They know the season record against Dallas. They can’t let that get into their minds.

Dallas also has a little more grit than Colorado. If things get physical, the Stars have a slight advantage.

Advantages for the Avalanche

They have Miro Heiskenan, the player Colorado wanted in the 2017 NHL Draft. We got Cale Makar instead, and he’s the better player. Makar also shines in the big games.

If the games are largely run-and-gun, Colorado has the advantage. The Avs have more speed than practically any team, and their skill is top-notch. As noted, they played most of the season missing at least one star, and they still had the better season than Dallas.

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