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The second game of the Western Conference West 2nd-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars is set to take place at the American Airlines Center on Thursday at 9.30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TNT, truTV, Max, TVAS, SN, and SN360.
The Avalanche managed to turn around a three-goal deficit in Game 1, winning 4-3 in overtime. However, they'll need to step up their game if they want to secure a 2-0 lead in the best of 7 series, especially considering their strong home record during the regular season.
In the postseason, Dallas has won three series of five series against the Avalanche, however, the Avalanche have more individual playoff wins, leading 18-14. The last playoff series between the two teams ended with a Stars victory after seven games in the 2020 semifinals.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Game preview
The Colorado Avalanche pulled off a 4-3 overtime victory in the first game of the playoff series. They were down 3-0 after the first period, but the goals from Nichushkin and Makar in the second period reduced the deficit to 3-2, and a goal from Nathan MacKinnon just 39 seconds into the third period tied the game.
The Avalanche outshot the Dallas Stars 26-22 and were perfect on the power play, going 2 for 2. They've been averaging 5.33 goals per game, with a power play success rate of 44.4%, and have been allowing 3.00 goals per game, with a penalty kill rate of 76.5%.
Valeri Nichushkin has seven goals, nine assists, and 21 shots on goal and Artturi Lehkonen has five goals, eight assists, and 22 shots on goal. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Miles Wood have each scored three goals.
In the net, Alexandar Georgiev has a record of 5-1-0, a GAA of 2.94, and a SV% of .895, having allowed 18 goals on 162 shots.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars, who finished at the top of the Central Division, managed to win 12 of their last 14 regular season games. Stars took an early 3-0 lead in their last game, but were unable to score for the rest of the game, resulting in a 4-3 overtime loss.
In the playoffs, the Stars have been scoring 2.38 goals per game, with a power play percentage of 27.8%, and have been allowing 2.50 goals per game, with a penalty kill percentage of 64.3%.
Wyatt Johnston has been the team's top performer with five goals, three assists, and 29 shots per game, while Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson have each contributed six points. Jake Oettinger, the team's goaltender, has a record of 4-4-0, a GAA of 2.15, and a SV% of .915, having faced 213 shots and allowed 18 goals.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Injury report
The Stars have a couple of players who are day-to-day. Jani Hakanpaa is dealing with a lower-body injury and Mason Marchment has an undisclosed issue.
As for the Avalanche, they will be without Jonathan Drouin who is out due to a lower-body injury. Gabriel Landeskog and Logan O'Connor are both sidelined for the season with knee and hip injuries respectively. Joel Kiviranta is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Head-to-head
The Stars have 14-19-0-0 in their all-time playoff record against the Avalanche. In faceoffs, the Stars are 52.6%, compared to the Avalanche's rate of 43.7%.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Spread
The Stars, with a 1.5 goal lead, are expected to outperform the Avalanche. The odds stand at +180 for the Stars to cover the spread, and -220 for the Avalanche.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Over/Under
The over/under for the Game 2 stands at 6.5 goals, with the odds for the over being -104 and for the under being -118.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Series odds and score predictions
Dallas stands as a -134 favorite with a 56.7% chance of winning the game, while Colorado, being a +112 underdog on the road, gives them a 47.4% chance of victory tonight.
Score Prediction: Dallas 3-3 Avalanche (The game is set to go into overtime, with Dallas expected to win with a scoreline of 4-3)
