Avalanche lines and D pairs for Stars

A short morning skate notebook here. The skate was optional for players, and most players took the option to sit it out. The fact that the Avs play tomorrow night in Arizona (Colorado Hockey Now will be there) probably had something to do with that.

Big game for the Avs, who have technically lost three of four, though they’ve gotten three of a possible last six points. They need to go into this two-game road trip with a win, I feel, but it won’t be easy. Dallas is a better team than their record shows and they are coming off a nice comeback win over Minnesota the other night.

Philipp Gruabauer will get the start in goal, with Pavel Francouz likely for tomorrow against the Coyotes (likely, not definite).

The only lineup change from the other night is Ryan Graves back in, with Mark Barberio out. Coach Jared Bednar wanted Graves to take a night off, watch a game and get back in with a fresher, perhaps more aggressive demeanor after playing the first 11 games of the season.

Bednar said the lines will stay the same, so here they are:

Kadri-MacKinnon-Donskoi

Burakovsky-Jost-Compher

Kamenev-Megna-Nichushkin

Nieto-Bellemare-Calvert

D

Girard-Johnson

Cole-Makar

Zadorov-Graves