Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars (7:30 p.m.)
Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
It’s a Colorado Avalanche game day!
It didn’t start well. Colorado let Dallas own the beginning of this series in their barn, falling behind 2-0 quickly and then 3-0 by the end of the first period. Was Alexandar Georgiev cooked? Was the team too rusty after finishing off the Winnipeg Jets in five games? Was something fundamentally broken? No. The Avalanche stormed back with tenacious defense and forechecking to score two goals in the second, one in the third, and one more to cap off the comeback in overtime.
Now in Game Two, they’ll need a stronger start as Dallas is sure to make adjustments to counter what worked so well for Colorado as Game One went on. Jake Oettinger, like Connor Hellebuyck before him, will be expected to elevate his game in the Stars’ net, and their skaters will push hard to play a more competitive game than they showed in periods two and three.
And they did show that ability, particularly in the beginning of overtime. If not for phenomenal work from Georgiev, the game wouldn’t have lasted long enough for Miles Wood to get out on a breakaway and score the OT winner. That’s the key to this game - will Colorado impose their like they did in periods two and three? or will the Stars keep the momentum they generated in overtime going to tie up the series?
Colorado Avalanche Projected Lines
Valeri Nichushkin (13) - Nathan MacKinnon (29) - Mikko Rantanen (96)Artturi Lehkonen (62) - Casey Mittelstadt (37) - Zach Parise (9)Miles Wood (28) - Ross Colton (20) - Chris Wagner (14)* - Andrew Cogliano (11) - Yakov Trenin (73) - Brandon Duhaime (12)
Devon Toews (7) - Cale Makar (8)Sam Girard (49) - Josh Manson (42)Jack Johnson (3) - Sean Walker (26)
Alexandar Georgiev (40)
*Note: Joel Kiviranta may take Wagner’s roster spot if he’s healthy enough to play.
Dallas Stars Projected Lines
Jason Robertson (21) - Roope Hintz (24) - Logan Stankoven (11)Jamie Benn (14) - Wyatt Johnston (53) - Joe Pavelski (16)Evgenii Dadonov (63) - Matt Duchene (95) - Tyler Seguin (91)Radek Faksa (12) - Sam Steel (18) - Craig Smith (15)
Thomas Harley (55) - Miro Hiskanen (4)Esa Lindell (23) - Chris Tanev (3)Ryan Suter (20) - Nils Lundkvist (5)
Jake Oettinger (29)
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