The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche return to Denver this evening to battle it out once again on the frozen floor in the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Game 4 at Ball Arena will be a pivotal game for both squads as we speed towards the finale of this series. How quickly the ride ends for one of these teams could depend on who suffers the loss tonight. The Stars enter the game holding a 2-1 series lead entering tonight’s game.
Colorado was the best team at home in the regular season in 2024. But the Avalanche managed just one goal in Game 3 while conceding four total to the visiting Stars as Jake Oettinger stonewalled the crew from Colorado. Meanwhile, the Stars capitalized on their limited opportunities just like they did all year as the top NHL road team this past season.
Game 4 features a similar question that has plagued Colorado all series: Can the Avs play that Uno-reverse card and flip the script on the Stars by scoring first in the game in this NHL Playoffs series? If they can, knotting the series up tonight could go a long way to keeping that Denver crowd partying long into the night.
A Captain and a Rookie Shining for Dallas in NHL Playoffs
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Dallas Stars captain Jaime Benn has been excellent in these playoffs, even if his stats do not dominate the scoresheet. Benn has recorded points in all three games of the series, with one goal and three assists. Jaime Benn has always been one of the most admired leaders in the NHL, and he is at his best when his all-around game shines for the Stars.
While Colorado has lacked scoring from their third and fourth lines, an electric rookie for the Stars decided to make his mark for the first time in the NHL Playoffs with two goals. Logan Stankoven became just the fifth rookie in Dallas history with a multi-goal outing as a rookie in the postseason.
While Stankoven was a new name on the score sheet, Tyler Seguin’s name was certainly not unknown to official scorers in May. With game-winning goals in both Game 3 and Game 4 of this series, Seguin joins the likes of Brett Hull as just the 14th Dallas player in history to score consecutive game-winners in the NHL Playoffs.
First Frame Woes Continue Woes for Colorado
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The Colorado Avalanche need to score a first-period goal in the worst way in Game Four. The “victory green” wearing Stars have been true to their jersey color name as they’ve outscored the Avalanche in the first period over the first three games, 5-0.
In Game 3, it was not for a lack of effort that Colorado went scoreless. The Avalanche outshot the Stars 11-to-5. Unfortunately, Oettinger was just shy of perfect in the game, allowing only one second-period goal to Mikko Rantanen. Dallas responded less than five minutes later on Tyler Seguin’s deflection goal before the pair of empty net goals sealed the game for the Stars in the third period.
The way Dallas has scored the first goal in each contest has been draining on Colorado. Their top stars are being forced to expend a lot of energy in these games to attempt a comeback. It is similar to what we see in the Eastern Conference match between the Panthers vs. Bruins. Boston looks spent energy-wise following their grueling seven-game series win in round one over Toronto.
Colorado Depth Scoring, Where Art Thou?
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Nine players on the Colorado Avalanche have less than five points in the 2024 NHL Playoffs. Even the OT hero in Game 1, Miles Wood, has only 3 points to his credit at this point. While depth in the NHL Playoffs can lag for a few games, a top-heavy lineup will typically take you only so far in the postseason.
Top-line forwards Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon are tied for the team lead in playoff points with 12. Both players are tied with defender Cale Makar at the summit of the leaderboard. Rantanen will be looking for his 100th point in the NHL Playoffs when he takes the ice this evening at Ball Arena.
There could be some help on the way for Colorado in Game 4. Forward Jonathan Drouin is being reported as a game-time decision for the game this evening. Druoin has been dealing with a lower-body injury suffered in the final game of the regular season. He has not yet been active in the 2024 NHL Playoffs. After scoring only one goal in the Game 3 loss on their home ice, Colorado will take any offensive help it can get.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports and entertainment journalist with diverse writing, broadcasting, and digital media credentials. With a varied professional background that includes an M.B.A. in Sports Management from Tiffin University, Chris can speak with authority on the subjects that he covers. Additional insightful sports articles can be located here.
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