Colorado Avalanche
Role Player
NHL 25 Prediction: Avalanche shuts out Dallas 3-0 in Game One
Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/2025...lanche-shuts-out-dallas-stars-3-0-in-game-one
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Stars had more shots on goal, but Colorado was the only team that scored. Both teams also went scoreless on the power play.
If NHL 25 is correct, the Colorado Avalanche will win Game 1 of their series against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night.
The Avalanche shut out Dallas 3-0 as Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals, Cale Makar added two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood rebounded from recent struggles to blank Dallas.
Note: Gabe Landeskog was scratched from the Colorado lineup, along with Erik Johnson and Ryan Lindgren. Jason Robertson was scratched from the Dallas lineup.
Recap
The first goal of the game came in less than a minute when Devon Toews led Colorado on the breakout and fed MacKinnon at the blue line, and the reigning MVP took care of the rest, beating Jake Oettinger with a quick wrist shot.
With 10:39 remaining in the first, Parker Kelly received a four-minute double minor for being particularly rude to Lian Bichsel. He was whistled for both cross-checking and holding. However, Dallas failed to convert on the power play.
A pair of former Avalanche players had their fair share of opportunities to find the net. Mikko Rantanen was denied by Blackwood via the blocker save, while Matt Duchene’s quick wrister with 4:16 remaining in the first was gloved.
It certainly was not due to a lack of effort from Dallas. At the end of the first, they outshot Colorado 11-6.
Both teams came out with a big head of steam to start the second period, and it was Colorado’s second line that added the next goal. Valeri Nichushkin outmuscled two Dallas defenders before feeding Jonathan Drouin in the slot, and the latter outsmarted Oettinger on the backhand to make it a 2-0 game. On the very next play, Sam Girard teed up a slapshot from the point, but Oettinger came up with the glove save.
Mikael Granlund put the Avalanche on their first power play of the game with 5:16 left in the second when he cross-checked Girard from behind. The hit caused Girard to stumble head-first into the boards. We went to the third and final period after Colorado failed to score on the man-advantage.
The Avalanche received their second power play of the night when Roope Hintz cross-checked Artturi Lehkonen to the ice with a strike to the lower back. It didn’t last though, because Drouin was also busted for holding. As a result, we saw some 4-on-4 action for a brief moment before Dallas went on the power play for about one minute and 10 seconds. Unfortunately, for the Stars, they struggled, coughing up the puck in key moments, allowing Charlie Coyle to run away with it, but he was turned away by Oettinger.
Rantanen drew a penalty with 11:02 left in the game. While carrying the puck near the blue line, he cut across the ice and tripped over Jack Drury’s stick. Those AI refs didn’t really seem to care and sent #18 to the box for two minutes. Drury gave the referees a lashing from his temporary seat but to no avail.
MacKinnon scored his second of the game with 6:34 to go when he was fed a pass from Marty Nečas. The reigning Hart Memorial trophy winner fired a wrist shot that bounced off Oettinger’s glove and back into the net, causing the netminder to fall to his backside wondering what could have been as Colorado players celebrated behind him.
And that was that. Colorado comes up with the 3-0 win.
The Stars had more shots on goal, leading that category 33-29. Blackwood stopped 33 and Oettinger saved 26 of 29 shots.
Let’s Be Honest
Back to reality, folks. Blackwood has not been playing well as of late, so a shutout just doesn’t seem like a possibility. We’re journalists and we want to be forthright. That seems like a stretch at this current moment. Dallas failed to convert on three power plays and Colorado came up on short on both of theirs. Dallas has lost their last seven games, but they still have a number of solid guys who can come through. If these teams play at their best, if these scenarios arise, a 4-2 win for Colorado seems feasible or even 3-1.
But we’ll have to wait for the real thing on Saturday when the Avalanche take on the Stars at American Airlines Center. Puck drop is at 6:30 p.m. local time.
Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/2025...lanche-shuts-out-dallas-stars-3-0-in-game-one
