Avalanche vs Dallas Stars Game 6: One Game at a Time — Can The Avs Live Another Day? Lines, Notes & How To Watch

The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars continue their series in the first possible elimination game at Ball Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:50 pm. MT.

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

There’s only one way to assess everything that unfolded in Game 5. Maybe, just maybe, all the bad luck, poor officiating, and well, self-inflicted wounds, are out of the way after that loss. Maybe.

The Avs are looking to bounce back in the biggest of ways. They have no choice. Last year, Colorado lost in double overtime of Game 6 against the Dallas Stars in a series they had no business winning. This time, they have a lot more to fight for. They’ve got a lineup that can win. They’ve got an opportunity to do something special. If they don’t, the series is over.

This team, this core, has not won a series they’ve trailed outside of losing Game 1 and coming back to win four straight vs Winnipeg last year and Calgary in 2019. They’ve also not beaten Pete DeBoer’s clubs in three previous tries. It’s not about winning two in a row. It’s about winning Game 6 at Ball Arena, protecting home ice, then heading to Dallas for a winner-take-all coin flip in Game 7. Imagine that.

The Avs aren’t expected to make any lineup changes. Erik Johnson was on the ice later than Sam Malinski, meaning he’ll probably sit again. They will ride with the same group, hoping the responses come from within. They’ve got way more to give than they did in Game 5, and they know it.

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

For Dallas, it’s business as usual. They’ve been a Western Conference finalist in the previous two seasons before this one. Losing in the first round isn’t something they’re expected to do. Especially with a 3-2 series lead.

Last game, they needed their top guys to wake up, and they did. Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz entered Game 5 with four combined points through the first four games. They had eight in that game alone. No changes are coming to their lineup, meaning Miro Heiskanen again won’t play. He practiced on Wednesday alongside Thomas Harley, but head coach Pete DeBoer again said the No. 1 defenseman is getting closer but not ready yet.

It’ll be Jake Oettinger vs Mackenzie Blackwood in goal. Colorado’s netminder needs a bounce-back from Game 5.

And as for the Avalanche … they need their top stars to respond the way Dallas’ did on Monday.

Read More: 10 Observations: No Excuses For Avs Game 5 Loss

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, TBD)

Stars Injuries

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

How to Watch

• TV: TBS, 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 (L, 6-2 — Series: 3-2 DAL)
• Game 6: vs Dallas Stars (Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm MT)
• 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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