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The Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars begin the NHL Playoffs' second round on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. The game will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and broadcast on ESPN, TVAS, SportsNet and SN360.
The Stars, with a 52-21-9 record, are coming off a 2-1 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Avalanche, with a 50-25-7 record, won their last game against the Winnipeg Jets 6-3.
Both teams are hoping to win the Stanley Cup, with the Stars aiming for their first win since 1999, with little time to rest before the second round, and the Avalanche looking to repeat their 2022 victory.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Game preview
The Colorado Avalanche, following a five-game series with the Jets, have advanced to the second round of the playoffs, marking their fifth appearance in the last six years.
They emerged victorious in games two, three, four and five, with respective scores of 5-2, 6-2, 5-1 and 6-3. The Avalanche scored a total of 28 goals in the series, conceding eight in the final four games.
They are averaging 5.6 goals per game and have a power play conversion rate of 37.5%. On the defensive end, they are allowing an average of three goals per game and defending 76.9% of their opponent's power plays.
Valeri Nichushkin, with seven goals, Mikko Rantanen, with seven assists, and Artturi Lehkonen, with 20 shots on goal, are leading the team's efforts. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen have each contributed nine points in the playoffs.
In goal, Alexander Georgiev has a 4-1-0 record, a GAA of 3.03 and a save percentage of .900, having allowed 15 goals on 140 shots.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars, having completed a seven-game series against the Golden Knights, have advanced to the second round of the playoffs. That marks their fourth appearance in the second round in the last six years.
Despite losing the first two games at home, the Stars won four of the next five games, narrowly beating Vegas. They secured victories in games three, four, five and seven with respective scores of 3-2, 4-2, 3-2, and 2-1.
The Stars are averaging 2.29 goals per game and have a power play success rate of 28.6%. On the defensive end, they allowed only nine goals in the final five games of the series and are allowing an average of 2.29 goals per game. They have defended 75% of their opponent's power plays.
Wyatt Johnston leads the team with four goals, Miro Heiskanen has four assists, and Tyler Seguin has taken 21 shots on goal. Goalie Jake Oettinger has a 4-3-0 record, a GAA of 1.95, and a save percentage of .925, having allowed 14 goals on 187 shots.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Injury report
Jani Hakanpaa and Mason Marchment of the Dallas Stars are currently dealing with injuries, with Hakanpaa suffering from a lower-body injury and the nature of Marchment's injury being undisclosed.
For the Avalanche, both Jonathan Drouin and Joel Kiviranta are suffering from lower-body injuries.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Head-to-head
The Dallas Stars hold an all-time playoff record of 14-18-0-0 against the Avalanche.
In faceoffs, the Stars outperformed the Avalanche with a success rate of 51.5%, compared to the Avalanche's 44.4%.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Spread
The Stars have a 1.5-goal advantage over the Avalanche. The odds for the Stars to cover the spread are +195, while the odds for the Avalanche are -240.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Over/Under
The over/under is set at 6.5. The odds for the game to go over are -102, while the odds for it to stay under are -120.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Series odds and score predictions
Dallas, with odds of -126, is the favorite to win the game, having a 55.8% chance of winning this game.
Conversely, Colorado, as a +105 underdog playing away, has a 48.5% chance of victory tonight.
Score Prediction: Dallas 4-2 Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: Hot betting tips
Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche has managed an assist in seven consecutive games. He's the favorite with odds of 7.50 to be the first player to score.
There's also a possibility to back him to score at any moment in the game, with odds of 1.98. Moreover, a bet on his assists and goal could be a good choice, with attractive odds of 1.83.
For the Stars, Wyatt Johnston has odds of 2.30 to score at any point in the match, while Jason Robertson has odds of 1.87.
Which team do you think will score the first goal in the opening game between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars? Let's know your thoughts in the comments section below.
