Colorado Avalanche (41-10-9) @ Dallas Stars (38-14-9)
6 p.m. MT | American Airlines Center | Watch: Altitude, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)
After a back-to-back towards a pair of Pacific Division groups from Southern California, the Avalanche travels to Texas to face the Dallas Stars in a Central Division showdown. This is the second of 4 conferences between the groups this season, because the Stars received 5-4 in a shootout in Denver on October eleventh and the groups will play once more on March 18th in Colorado and on April 4th in Dallas.
Latest Result (COL): COL 5, ANA 1
Latest Result (DAL): DAL 6, CGY 1
Winning in Anaheim
Nathan MacKinnon recorded his fourth-consecutive 100-point season and Parker Kelly scored twice to assist the Avalanche defeat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at Honda Center on Tuesday. Cale Makar posted a objective and two assists whereas Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog every scored for the second-consecutive day. In web for the Avs, Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 of the 28 photographs he confronted. Makar opened the scoring at 11:33 of the primary interval together with his 18th objective of the season by way of a left-circle shot. Colorado doubled its lead on the ability play at 14:05 of the primary interval when Necas scored his twenty seventh objective of the season by way of a one-timer from the highest of the left circle arrange by Brock Nelson’s cross-ice feed. With the secondary help on the objective, Makar recorded the two hundredth power-play level of his profession (43g/157a). At 4:50 of the second interval, Cutter Gauthier put the Ducks on the board with a right-circle one-timer. Kelly gave the Avs a 3-1 lead at 15:03 of the second interval together with his 14th objective of the season by way of a shot from the highest of the left circle. The Avalanche took a 4-1 lead when Landeskog scored his ninth objective of the season by way of a one-timer off the push from the excessive slot arrange by MacKinnon, who recorded his a centesimal level of the season with the help. MacKinnon additionally set a franchise file for the fewest video games in franchise historical past to succeed in 100 factors (59). Kelly made it a 5-1 recreation at 10:06 of the third interval together with his second objective of the sport and fifteenth of the season by way of a left-circle one-timer arrange by Jack Drury.
Leading the Way
Nate the Great
MacKinnon leads the NHL in objectives (41), ranks second in factors (100) and third in assists (59).
All Hail Cale
Among NHL defensemen, Makar is third in factors (64), fourth in assists (46) and tied for fourth in objectives (18).
Marty Party
Necas is tied for eighth in the NHL in factors (72).
Series History
In 115 earlier regular-season video games towards the Stars, the Avalanche has a file of 55-40-8-12. The groups have performed in seven playoff sequence, in addition to a seeding round-robin contest in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Picking Up Two Points in Calgary
The Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 6-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday. In the primary interval, Dallas’ Sam Steel opened the scoring at 8:44, Calgary’s Morgan Frost tied the sport at 9:52 and Jamie Benn gave the Stars a 2-1 lead at 11:54. Mavrik Bourque scored to present the Stars a 3-1 lead at 2:26 of the second interval and Steel made it 4-1 at 6:02 of the center body. Dallas took a 6-1 lead after Nathan Bastian scored at 8:48 of the center body and Wyatt Johnston added a power-play tally at 19:41 of the second interval.
Scoring Against the Stars
MacKinnon has posted 48 factors (18g/30a) in 45 regular-season video games towards the Stars, in addition to 29 factors (14g/15a) in 21 playoff contests.
Makar has recorded 20 factors (5g/15a) in 19 regular-season contests towards Dallas, together with 20 factors (7g/13a) in 21 playoff video games.
Landeskog has registered 31 factors (16g/15a) in 35 regular-season video games towards the Stars, in addition to 10 factors (3g/7a) in 12 playoff contests.
Tallying Points in Texas
Jason Robertson leads the Stars in objectives (34) and factors (72) whereas rating third in assists (38).
Johnston is second on the Stars in objectives (33), third in factors (65) and fourth in assists (32).
Miro Heiskanen is second on the Stars in assists (43) and fifth in factors (50).
A Numbers Game
4
MacKinnon’s 4 100-point seasons are essentially the most in Avalanche historical past (since 1995-96), and his four-consecutive such campaigns are the second most in franchise historical past, behind Peter Stastny (six).
5
Nelson’s 5 game-winning objectives on the highway are tied for essentially the most in the NHL this season.
83.5%
Colorado’s 83.5% mark on the penalty kill is the third greatest in the NHL.
Quote That Left a Mark
“It’s great. I think the St. Louis game [on] New Year’s Eve (Colorado won 6-1) then Carolina (Colorado won 5-3) we were playing really really well and then he (Landeskog) got hurt the next night against Florida (Colorado lost 2-1). It seems like a long time ago now, but he was playing great before then. I feel like every week he’s getting better and better. It’s a long time to be off. I think [in the] playoffs he was amazing, but it’s a lot of adrenaline. But, he’s getting his timing back. His shot looks really good. He’s had a couple good one-[timers] last couple nights. So, he’s a pleasure to play with. He always has been, for sure.”
— Nathan MacKinnon on enjoying on a line with Gabriel Landeskog
