Forwards

These are two of the best forward groups in the league. Several of Colorado’s key guys have missed big chunks of the season but produced at a prolific rate. After adding Mikko Rantanen, the Stars’ top three lines are balanced and terrifying. Tyler Seguin didn’t play for four months, but returned for the final game of the regular season. Gabe Landeskog didn’t play for almost three years, but could play in Game 1. Who comes out for the captain? The Avs now have 15 NHL forwards. Rantanen is the new bad guy, but Matt Duchene is an excellent villain. This is so, so close, but one side has the MVP. Edge: Avalanche

Defensemen

When will Miro Heiskanen play? How effective will he be? In a series that could be epic in scope but decided by millimeters, Heiskanen’s health could be the whole ballgame. He’s not expected for Game 1, at least. Dallas’ defensive numbers have plummeted without him, even though Thomas Harley is the real deal and could challenge Devon Toews as the third-best defenseman in this series. The Avs have a strong top-six, but will Josh Manson and Ryan Lindgren be ready and at their best? Sam Malinski finished the year strong. The Stars’ forwards pushed the Avs around at times in the series a year ago. Edge: Avalanche

Goaltenders

The 2024-25 regular season was as close as it gets, though Jake Oettinger scuffled a little at the end. Mackenzie Blackwood finished his season sixth in save percentage at .912 among goalies with 30-plus games played. Oettinger was 10th (.909). Blackwood was 9th (2.55) in goals against average, while Oettinger was 12th (2.59). Since Blackwood arrived in Denver, he’s 22-12-3. Oettinger in that span? He’s 22-12-4. So what’s the difference? Oettinger has 45 playoff starts. Blackwood has zero. Will that matter? Oettinger was also great against the Avs in the 2024 playoffs. Edge: Stars

Power play

The Avs are ninth in the league at 24.8%, while the Stars finished 17th at 22.0%. That’s a bit misleading, though, because the Avs scored just three more times with the man advantage (58-55) and yielded three more shorthanded tallies, so both clubs were plus-51 overall. Colorado has the best power play in the league since trading Rantanen (32.2%), but Dallas is sixth since then at 26.5%. That said, the Stars’ power play is only at 20.3% since trading for Rantanen. The Avs have also been generous with shorthanded chances allowed. One shorthanded goal against could swing the series. Edge: Avalanche

Penalty kill

The Stars have one of the best penalty kills in the league, finishing fifth at 82.0%. The Avs were in the middle of the pack, finishing 12th at 79.8%. Again, sometimes just focusing on the percentages can be misleading, though. Dallas allowed 41 power-play goals, while Colorado allowed 42. The Avs were actually fourth in the league on the PK from Dec. 3 through the end of the season — swapping out both goaltenders made a huge difference. The Stars were seventh in that same span, and their goal difference while shorthanded was just two back of Colorado. The Avs have added several guys who kill penalties throughout the season. Will Landeskog get a chance as well? Edge: Even

Coaching

Oh look, another category where it’s splitting hairs. The Avs have collected the third-most points in the NHL over the past eight seasons. They are tied with Tampa Bay for the second-longest postseason appearance streak in the league. Bednar has won the Stanley Cup, while Peter DeBoer has not. There’s been some criticism of Bednar’s work in the postseason outside of 2022, but his postseason winning percentage (.605) is tops among current coaches. With all of that said, Bednar is 7-12 against DeBoer in the playoffs. DeBoer has eliminated the Avalanche in 2019, 2021 and 2024 — with three different teams. A series win would be as big for Bednar as anyone. Edge: Stars