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A hockey fan's dream came true when the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche locked themselves into a Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup. The Stars threatened to pass the Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division, but eventually fell off as the season closed. It's not that the Avalanche and Jets wouldn't have made a great series, but this is the series everyone wants to see. The drama surrounding this series is too good to ignore, as Mikko Rantanen attempts to beat the team that gave up on him earlier this season.
The Stars will get home-ice advantage in this series after finishing with four more points than the Avalanche. Colorado could regret not having a better finish to the season, as the Stars lost seven in a row to close it out and left the door open. However, the Avalanche instead decided to play it safe and rest some of their best players to prepare for what they hope will be a two-month journey.
This series has plenty of storylines, but an important one will be the injury situation for both teams. The Avalanche expect captain Gabriel Landeskog to return at some point, while the Stars aren't as optimistic about Miro Heiskanen's status. One thing is sure: these players could single-handedly affect who advances to the next round. Let's make some bold predictions before this must-watch series commences.
Mikko Rantanen struggles to perform under massive expectations
Let's not pretend the main intrigue for this series isn't Rantanen's matchup with his old team. Rantanen became a superstar with Colorado, but the parties couldn't agree on a contract extension this season. The internal strife caused the Avalanche to trade Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes, who eventually flipped him to Colorado's division rival.
It hasn't been easy for Rantanen to find his footing away from Nathan MacKinnon. It'd be naive to say all of Rantanen's success is because of his chemistry with MacKinnon. Rantanen is a talented player, and he won't struggle forever. However, if he struggles in this series, the narrative will only grow that Rantanen can't perform away from his former linemate. It'll be difficult for even the most determined player to battle through, but his already fragile state after dealing with the trade could lead to a rough two weeks.
Rantanen has been much better since joining the Stars, recording 18 points in 20 games. His fit in Dallas is a bit more comfortable, as fellow Finnish teammates surround him. Whether it was chemistry or the system, something was slightly off with Rantanen in Carolina, and his results showed it. If you're looking for maximum storyline chaos in this series, root for either the Avalanche to dominate Rantanen or for Rantanen to catch fire and bury the team that traded him.
Gabriel Landeskog returns, but doesn't stick around for Avalanche
It's not necessarily a bold prediction that Landeskog will struggle to get back up to NHL speed. The rumor is that Landeskog won't return in Games 1 and 2 of the series, but Colorado has Game 3 tagged as the date. It makes a ton of sense, as Jared Bednar can control the matchups for Landeskog on home ice, and the pop he will get from the Ball Arena crowd will be something like we've never seen before. It'll be a viral moment when he does return, but everything about this might not be a feel-good story.
Landeskog hasn't played in the NHL since Colorado won the 2022 Stanley Cup. It has been a long road back, and he should be given all the props for his journey. However, if this series goes the distance, it will be difficult for him to play the final five games. Landeskog's presence will give Colorado a shot in the arm for Games 3 and 4, but don't rule out the possibility of him having to take a game or two off later in the series. It might be more of a day-to-day thing than a full-time return.
Stars struggle early in series, but fortunes change with Miro Heiskanen's return
It wouldn't be the first time we saw an injury timeline change in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars have confirmed that Heiskanen will miss Game 1 of the playoffs, but they haven't ruled him out for games later in the series. While Landeskog will get Ball Arena rolling for the Avalanche in Game 3, the Stars could counter with the return of Heiskanen in Game 5, if not sooner.
Many believe the Stars don't have much chance to win this series if Heiskanen doesn't return. Colorado has one of the most electric offenses in the league, and Heiskanen's mobility and defensive presence would be a good deterrent for players like MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The consensus is that Heiskanen will return at some point in this series, and the Stars' chances increase the earlier he does.
Regardless of how it finishes, this Stars-Avalanche series should be appointment viewing for hockey fans everywhere. Game 1 is slated for Saturday night at American Airlines Center; puck is set to drop just past 8:30 p.m. ET.
