Morning Skate Diary
Avalanche Lines and D Pairs for Dallas Tonight, Betting Lines
Darcy Kuemper apparently has some skates that aren’t self-destructing anymore, and he’s going to start the Avalanche’s game tonight in Dallas.
That’s one of the main news items for tonight’s Avalanche game at American Airlines Arena against YOUR…DALLAS…STAARRRRS (inside joke here). We are not at the game tonight, and by taking a look around, neither is any other Avs media entity. It’s a single game, with a home game tomorrow night, and those games don’t make a lot of economical sense to cover. And, honestly, the fact that NHL locker rooms are still closed to the media doesn’t help incentivize us to go.
So, that piece of lineup information comes courtesy of Avs radio man Conor McGahey, who is with the team in Dallas. Conor also reports that Kiefer Sherwood is in for Kurtis MacDermid, after they swapped spots the other night against Anaheim.
Kuemper, if you need a refresher, had to leave the last game when his skate blade broke loose – for a second straight game. Unlike the first time, he didn’t return and Jonas Johansson played the rest of the way and got the win. Skategate, for now anyway, is over.
There is some question as to whether Bo Byram might return or not tonight. Sounds like we have to wait closer to game time for that info.
*Update: Byram will not play.
With that in mind, here is the projected Avs lineup:
Landeskog-Rantanen-O’Connor
Nichushkin-Kadri-Burakovsky
Jost-Newhook-Kubel
Helm-Megna-Sherwood
D
Toews-Makar
J. Johnson-Girard
E. Johnson-Murray
Kuemper
NOTEBOOK:ย Not including the playoffs of 2020, the Stars have won the last four meetings with the Avs. The teams did not play last season. … Jake Oettinger will start in goal for the Stars. Braden Holtby will be the backup, according to the Stars’ website. … Avs are -122 favorites to win at SuperBook Colorado.