Dallas and Colorado have forged a rivalry over the past 25 years, starting when Derian Hatcher and Joe Sakic were the respective captains in the late 1990s as they battled for NHL supremacy.
The Central Division rivals will renew acquaintances when the Stars host the Avalanche on Friday night.
The last time the teams met was in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals in May. Dallas won it with a double-overtime goal by former Colorado star Matt Duchene. It was the sixth time since 1999 the teams met in the postseason, with the Stars winning four times.
That history doesn’t matter in the first of three games between the teams this season. For Dallas, the focus is getting back on track after two straight losses in which it allowed six goals in both games, the last a 6-2 setback at Chicago on Wednesday night.
“It’s that old adage: You’re never really as good as you think you are when you win, and you’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose, most of the time,” Duchene said. “This team, I don’t think, has had a ton of adversity the last two years. There’s a little bit coming at us right now.
“As long as we peak at the right time and work towards it, I think that’s the only thing we can do. We’ve just got to keep figuring things out and working and pushing.”
The Stars played Wednesday without center Roope Hintz, who missed the game after “tweaking something” Monday, according to coach Peter DeBoer. Hintz is listed as day-to-day.
The Avalanche are accustomed to playing without key players. They were nearly whole after Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Miles Wood returned a few games ago, while Ross Colton is slated to begin skating soon, but Drouin is now back on the injured list and is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Nichushkin has played well since coming off a six-month suspension. He has two goals, including the only one in regulation in their 2-1 shootout win over Vegas on Wednesday night, as well as the lone shootout goal.
“(Nichushkin) is getting there,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after the win. “His game is still coming. I do think his details have been tight and his puck play is starting to come.”
The return of top forwards has taken pressure off star center Nathan MacKinnon, who was leading the NHL in points before a scoring drought. After compiling eight points in three games, MacKinnon has just two over the last six.
MacKinnon has still been a force. He was double-shifted often in Wednesday’s win over the Golden Knights and played a strong defensive game.
Just as important, Alexandar Georgiev was sharp in net after a rough night in Tampa on Monday. He made 18 saves in regulation and stopped all five attempts in the shootout when both teams had trouble scoring.
Georgiev was especially strong in the first period, when he made 10 stops to keep the game scoreless.
–Field Level Media
