The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars will open their first-round NHL playoff series on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center, hoping to take an early lead. The Avalanche enter the game with a full lineup, all set to hit on all cylinders.
For the first time this season, it will be all hands on deck for the Avalanche as there don’t appear to be any significant names on the injured list. That means that Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will have a full cast of characters around supporting them.
That’s a crucial point as the Avalanche will need everyone to chip in against one of the toughest teams in the league. The Stars, meanwhile, do have some unfortunate injury issues to deal with. One of their top scorers, Jason Robertson, will be out for what looks to be the first couple of games.
Also, top blue liner Miro Heiskanen is still out with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear when he might be back. But rather than looking at these injuries as “breaks,” the Avalanche must go out there and play their game. That means using their speed and skill to keep the Stars on their heels all night long.
While it’s hard to come up with an Avalanche vs Stars prediction. But I will say that this game won’t be a blowout by any means. The Avalanche will have to grind for the most part, looking for open spaces until they can finally break through and score.
Looking at Colorado Avalanche lineup for Game 1 of NHL playoffs
Let’s take a look at the lineup the Colorado Avalanche will ice for Game 1 of the NHL playoffs:
Forwards
The forward group will look like this:
- Lehkonen – MacKinnon – Necas
- Drouin – Nelson – Nichushkin
- Kiviranta – Coyle – Colton
- Kelly – Drury – O’Connor
This forward group shows two solid scoring lines while an enviable bottom six. Charlie Coyle and Jack Drury are the best third and fourth-line centers, respectively. Plus, Ross Colton and Joel Kiviranta provide depth scoring in that bottom-six group.
Jonathan Drouin will be an X-factor in the top six. He’s got plenty of speed and talent that could make it hard for the Stars to contain.
Defense
Let’s look at the defense pairs:
- Toews – Makar
- Girard – Manson
- Johnson – Lindgren
There aren’t many surprises, here. The only mild surprise seems to be Erik Johnson getting into the lineup over Sam Malinski. The Avs are likely banking on Johnson’s experience and toughness to help, at least in the early going.
Seeing Girard and Manson back in the lineup is crucial as that second pair can rival the Stars’ defenders. Girard and Manson should provide plenty of grit and skill moving forward.
Goaltenders
Unsurprisingly, MacKenzie Blackwood should get the call in the crease. He’s been terrific all season and will be a key piece in the Avalanche’s playoff puzzle.
Scott Wedgewood, a former Dallas Stars player, will be the backup. Barring injury, Wedgewood won’t be hitting the ice for Game 1.
The biggest question will be Blackwood’s lack of NHL playoff experience. It remains to be seen how Blackwood handles the pressure of his first playoff appearance. If I had to bet, I would put money on Blackwood playing up to his usual game. He’ll be just fine as long as his team plays a solid hockey game in front of him.
Overall, the Colorado Avalanche have everything they need to take the early lead in this series. Earning a split on the road will make it challenging for the Stars to get the momentum back in the series.
So, taking Game 1 will be the most crucial part of winning this series for the Colorado Avalanche.