The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche — old friends, you might say — are set to meet once again in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It’s the second straight year the longtime rivals will meet in the playoffs, with Stars winger Matt Duchene delivering the knockout blow to the Avs last year with his Game 6, double-overtime goal that sent Colorado home in the second round.
Can the Stars trudge through the Avalanche once again in 2025?
Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis, scores and more.
Our expert writers and columnists weigh in on the series outlook below, offering up their predictions for Stars-Avalanche as well as for the Stars’ run in the playoffs as a whole. Check them out below.
Predictions for Stars vs. Avalanche
Lia Assimakopoulos: The Stars will face a grueling first-round opponent just like last year, but Tyler Seguin’s return and Miro Heiskanen’s possible return in the middle of the series will provide a big boost. Dallas has an unmatched top-nine forward group and a better goaltender, and that will be the difference, but it’ll be close. Stars in 7 games.
Tim Cowlishaw: A matchup of heavyweights, and the Stars will have to contain Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, always a challenge. But Dallas has a knack for eliminating Colorado, and I think Heiskanen returns to help the back end, so Stars survive and advance. Stars in 7.
Kevin Sherrington: My first inclination was to go with the Action Network’s SuperComputer, which favors the Avs, second only to the Jets with an 11.3% shot at winning it all. But the edge goes to home ice. Stars in 7.
Predictions for Stars in the Stanley Cup playoffs
Lia Assimakopoulos: Dallas is coming off back-to-back deep playoff runs and already looks a little fatigued. A first-round matchup against Colorado, even if they survive it, puts the Stars in a tough position, especially without a fully healthy Heiskanen. Connor Hellebuyck may be the best player in hockey right now, and the Stars have had no answer for him or the Jets this season. The playoff format doesn’t do the Stars any favors. Stars fall to Winnipeg in Round 2.
Tim Cowlishaw: The run ends in the second round. Winnipeg showed itself to be a notch above Dallas in their recent game here, and there’s no question that the best goaltender in the league is the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck. Jets win that one in 6.
Kevin Sherrington: The Stars go from the frying pan to the fire, beating Colorado and losing to the Jets in Round 2 in 6 games.
