Avalanche at Dallas Stars Game 5: Building Off The Last One — How Will DeBoer Respond? Lines, Notes & How To Watch

The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars continue their series with a crucial Game 5 at American Airlines Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:50 pm. MT.

Read More: How The Avalanche’s Forward Group Compares to The 2022 Championship Blueprint

How was that for a response on Saturday? Coming off two straight overtime losses and a tough 2-1 defeat in Gabe Landeskog’s return at Ball Arena, the Avalanche bounced back in Game 4 and imposed their will on the Stars.

They dominated in every aspect. There’s no other way to look at it. All the underlying numbers confirm what the eye test showed. Colorado more than doubled the shots, tripled the scoring chances, and won 4-0. But as we’ve seen throughout the series, it’s hard to carry over momentum from game to game. Simply put, I don’t think head coach Jared Bednar and his club are expecting anything more than a resounding response from Dallas.

“Every game is going to be a little bit different, different challenges,” center Brock Nelson said. “Last night was a good showing by special teams, 5-on-5, we did a lot of great things. And it’s a cat and mouse. Everyone’s going to make adjustments. They’re going to watch and try to make adjustments. And we have to try and counter that as well and continue to build on the good things that we did.”

Nelson had two assists in what was far and away his best game of the series. Lined up with Valeri Nichushkin and Landeskog, that trio outshot the Stars 14-1 in nearly 10 minutes of ice time at 5-on-5. The Landeskog goal was great to witness, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the end-to-end rush from Nelson.

If the Avs get more of that from their second line and added pressure from Nathan MacKinnon’s line, it’ll help them take command of the series before it shifts back to Colorado.

It doesn’t sound like any changes are coming to the Avs lineup for Game 5. Bednar said Ross Colton is getting better, but he’s not yet available to play. Colton, who suffered a lower-body injury in Game 1, has not yet begun skating.

READ MORE: Landeskog Scores in Avalanche’s Dominating Game 4 Victory

The Stars need more from their stars. That’s the first step in correcting what didn’t work for them in Game 4.

Matt Duchene has zero points in the series, Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz each have one, and Wyatt Johnston has two assists. It’s not enough. Even without Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson, Pete DeBoer needs more production from these guys. Thomas Harley is the only skater on the team with three points. Everyone else has two or fewer.

Defensively, the Stars need to get back to doing what made them successful in the two OT games. They found a way to shut down Colorado’s offense to an extent and didn’t fall into a relentless push from the high-flying Avs like they did on Saturday.

DeBoer is putting Oskar Back back into the series in place of Mavrik Bourque. In goal, Jake Oettinger gets the nod again after saving the Stars from further embarrassment in Game 4. Oettinger was pulled at the second intermission after surrendering three goals on 34 shots. It wasn’t because of his play; rather, DeBoer wanted to rest him for this game.

Mackenzie Blackwood gets the nod again for the Avs.

READ MORE: 10 Observations: I’m Not Sure How Gabriel Landeskog is Doing This (+)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Jonathan Drouin — Charlie Coyle — Joel Kiviranta
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Ryan Lindgren — Sam Malinski

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Projected Stars Lines (subject to change)

Mikael Granlund — Roope Hintz — Mikko Rantanen
Mason Marchment — Matt Duchene — Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn — Wyatt Johnston — Evgenii Dadonov
Oskar Back — Sam Steel — Colin Blackwell

Esa Lindell — Cody Ceci
Thomas Harley — Ilya Lyubushkin
Lian Bichsel — Alexander Petrovic

Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
• Confirmed: Jake Oettinger (DAL)

Avalanche Injuries

• Ross Colton (lower body)

Stars Injuries

• Miro Heiskanen (knee, day-to-day)
• Jason Robertson (lower body, week-to-week)
• Nils Lundkvist (shoulder, out for season)

How to Watch

• TV: ESPN, Altitude Sports (locally)
• Radio: 92.5 FM

Playoff Series Head-to-Head

• Game 1 at Dallas Stars: (W, 5-1 — Series: 1-0 COL)
• Game 2: at Dallas Stars (L, 4-3 OT — Series: 1-1)
• Game 3: vs Dallas Stars (L, 2-1 OT — Series: 2-1 DAL)
• Game 4: vs Dallas Stars (W, 4-0 — Series: 2-2
• Game 5: at Dallas Stars (Monday, April 28 at 7:30 pm MT)
• Game 6: vs Dallas Stars (Thursday, May 1 at TBD)
• Game 7 at Dallas Stars (Saturday, May 3, if necessary)

Regular Season Head-to-Head

• Nov. 29 at Dallas Stars (L, 5-3)
• Jan. 18 vs Dallas Stars (W, 6-3)
• March 16 vs Dallas Stars (W, 4-3 OT)

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