Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars Game 1 Prediction, Playoff Odds
Colorado GM Chris MacFarland couldn’t predict that when he traded Mikko Rantanen to Carolina earlier this season, the Hurricanes would have flipped him back to the Central Division with Dallas. That sets up for some great storylines as these teams prepare to meet in the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Avalanche open Game 1 as a -130 favourite to win on the NHL odds, with the total pegged at 6.0.
You can also check out our list of predictions for every first round playoff series.
Avalanche vs. Stars NHL Betting Odds
After Dallas bounced Colorado in a six-game second-round playoff series last year, the Avs took two of three regular season meetings this season, with both wins coming at home. Rantanen only played in one of those games, a 4-3 loss in Denver on March 16. He recorded one assist.
Anyone critical of the NHL’s playoff format can point to this series. This should be a conference final matchup as both teams are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The Avs are +750 co-favourites, along with Florida, to win the Stanley Cup on the NHL futures board, while the Stars are +850 for the fourth-shortest odds.
Despite opening on the road, Colorado is a -160 favourite to win the series. Dallas is a +135 underdog. The favoured exact series result is the Avalanche winning in six games at +325, while the biggest long shot is a Stars sweep at +1800.
If you’re looking for player props for the series, you might want to consider Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin to be the top goal scorer at +600. Nichushkin has been a playoff beast in his career with the Avalanche and he was leading the postseason with nine goals in eight games last year before a suspension ended his season.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado has overhauled their roster is an almost unprecedented way this season. During the year, they swapped out both goalies, replaced three of four centres and flipped Rantanen in a deal that brought back Martin Necas. In addition to Necas, players who weren’t on the roster for opening night include Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood, Jack Drury, Erik Johnson, Ryan Lindgren, Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson. The Avs could also see the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog, who has been sidelined by a knee injury since hoisting the Cup in 2022.
The game-breakers for Colorado in this series are clearly Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. MacKinnon, last year’s Hart Trophy winner, finished second in league scoring with 116 points (32G, 84A) in 79 games. Makar, a lock to win the Norris this season, became the ninth defenceman in NHL history to score 30 goals in a season. And they don’t slow down in the playoffs. MacKinnon averages 1.30 points per game in the playoffs, while Makar averages 1.11.
Dallas Stars
Dallas made a huge splash when they traded for Rantanen on deadline day and signed him to an eight-year contract extension. Rantanen has been a playoff performer in his career, averaging 1.25 points per game in the postseason. The Stars received another boost with the return of Tyler Seguin, who was back in the lineup on Tuesday after missing 58 games with a hip injury.
Unfortunately for Dallas, Seguin’s return is the only good injury news. Miro Heiskanen, who led the Stars with eight points (4G, 4A) and 172:16 agains the Avalanche last year, has missed 32 games with a knee injury and likely won’t play until late in the series, if at all. Dallas also lost Jason Robertson, who left the last game of the regular season with what looked like a knee injury. There’s been no update on Robertson’s status, but if he’s not available, it’s a huge blow considering he led the Stars with 35 goals this season.
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