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The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche clash in the third game of the NHL Playoffs West second round at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TNT, truTV, Max, TVAS, SN1 and SN. The series is tied at 1-1.
Colorado recovered from a slow start in the first game to secure a 4-3 OT victory, gaining home ice advantage. However, Dallas, held its ground in the second game, securing a 5-3 win to level the series.
In the postseason, Dallas has won three of five series, but Colorado leads in playoff victories with an 18-15 record. The last time the two teams met in the playoffs, the Stars emerged victorious in the 2020 Western Conference semifinals.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Game preview
The Dallas Stars made a comeback with a 5-3 victory in game two after suffering a loss in game one. Dallas was leading 4-0 in the third period, but Colorado reduced the deficit to 4-3.
The Stars had 32 shots on goal and converted two of five power plays in game 2, while Jake Oettinger made 28 saves for the Stars, who had a slight edge in shots with 32-31. He has a 5-4-0 record, with a 2.24 GAA and a .914 SV%, having allowed 21 goals on 244 shots faced, is expected to be the goalie here too.
The Stars average 2.67 goals per game, with a 30.4% success rate on the power play, and concede 2.56 goals per outing with a 70.6% success rate on the penalty kill.
Wyatt Johnston has been Dallas' top player with five goals and three assists, totaling eight points. Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson have also made significant contributions with six goals, nine assists and 43 shots on goal.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche pulled off a stunning comeback in the first game but couldn't repeat the feat in the second. They scored the final four goals in game one to secure home ice advantage but couldn't recover from a 4-0 deficit in game 2.
The Avalanche have shown impressive offensive skills this season, scoring 11 goals in two home games during the playoffs. They are averaging 5.00 goals per game, have a 38.1% success rate on the power play and conceding 3.29 goals per outing with a 72.7% success rate on the penalty kill.
Valeri Nichushkin has led the Avalanche with nine goals, 10 points and 24 shots on goal. Artturi Lehkonen has also made a significant contribution with five goals, four assists and 27 shots on goal.
Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Miles Wood have found the back of the net thrice each in the playoffs. Starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev has a 5-2-0 record, a 3.10 GAA and a .891 SV% and has conceded 22 goals on 193 shots faced.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Injury report
The Stars' Jani Hakanpaa is dealing with a lower-body injury. As for the Avalanche, Jonathan Drouin is out with a lower-body injury. Both Gabriel Landeskog and Logan O'Connor are out for the season due to knee and hip injuries respectively.
Joel Kiviranta is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury, while the status of Devon Toews is uncertain due to undisclosed reasons.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Head-to-head
The Dallas Stars have an all time playoff record of 15-19-0 against the Avalanche. The Stars have a 52.2% success rate in faceoffs, while the Avalanche are at 44.8%.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Spread
The Avalanche are the favorites with a 1.5 goal advantage. The odds are +190 for the Avalanche to cover the spread, while the odds for the Stars stand at -235.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Over/Under
A total of 6.5 goals is expected in the Game 3, with the odds for both over and under set at -110.
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche: Series odds and score predictions
Colorado, the favorite with odds of -132, stands a 56.5% chance of winning the game. Meanwhile, Dallas, the underdogs with odds of +110, has a 47.6% probability of winning on the road.
Score Prediction: Dallas 5-4 Avalanche
