Who Takes the Series Advantage? The Avalanche or the Stars?
The Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars have had an excellent first-round playoff series, taking two wins apiece. On April 28th, at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the Colorado Avalanche go to Dallas to face the Stars in a tie-breaking fifth game. In this playoff season, Colorado is looking to return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2022. In 2022, they won the Stanley Cup in an incredible six-game series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dallas, however, has not been to the Stanley Cup Finals since 2020. In 2020, the Dallas Stars also played six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, it was Tampa Bay that won the Stanley Cup. Whoever wins tomorrow’s game will have an advantage in the remainder of the series, given they’ll have one more win than the other team.
Standout Avalanche players from the first two games in this series include Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O’Connor, and Jonathan Drouin. Standout Stars players from the first two games in this series include Sam Steel and Jamie Benn. Standout Avalanche players from the latest two games in this series include Gabriel Landeskog, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Samuel Girard. Standout Stars players from the latest two games in this series include Jamie Benn and Mikko Rantanen. These standout players have been noted for their results on the ice, particularly in scoring and performing above the already-high standards that playoff hockey expects. The winner of this playoff series will face the winner of the Winnipeg Jets/St. Louis Blues series. Winnipeg currently leads that series with two wins against St. Louis, who have one win.
Analyzing the four games so far in this series, both of Colorado’s wins came with a victory by four goals. Their victory in Game One of this series was a 5-1 victory on the road for the Avalanche. Their victory in Game Four of this series was a 4-0 victory at home. Both of Dallas’s wins so far in this series were overtime wins. Their victory in Game Two was a 4-3 overtime Dallas win at home. Their victory in Game Three was a 2-1 overtime Dallas win on the road in Colorado.
Regardless of the result in tomorrow’s matchup and the remainder of the series, this has been an incredible playoff series featuring an incredible story. That story is the return of Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog returned to the NHL ice for the first time since Colorado’s Stanley Cup win in 2022. This is due to the captain’s various knee surgeries. The one-time NHL All-Star and second overall 2011 NHL Draft pick was a key part in bringing the Stanley Cup to the Avalanche for the first time since 2001. Landeskog returned in Game Three of this series, a 2-1 overtime Dallas win on the road in Colorado. Analyzing the four games so far in this series, it seems Colorado is more likely to win tomorrow’s matchup, especially with Landeskog back. Don’t count out Dallas, though, especially given they’re the home team that night.
