Colorado is coming off a season-long homestand where it went 5-1-0 and won each of its last five contests. Dallas is finishing up its own six-game homestay on Saturday night and is 4-1-0 after its first five outings.
"The most important thing is that we're playing a real good team on the road, trying to duplicate the success we've had and pay attention to the details and winning habits we've had at home lately," said Avs head coach Jared Bednar. "We have to make sure we find a way to make it happen on the road against a real good team."
Tonight's game is the fifth and final meeting between the Central Division clubs, and the Avalanche and Stars have split those earlier matchups with 2-2-0 records versus one another.
They are also each coming off their league-mandated bye and will play their first game since last Saturday. The Avs defeated the Wild 7-2, while the Stars beat the Oilers 5-1.
"The guys, especially with the little bit of success we were having before the break, they're anxious to get back at it," Bednar said. "With Dallas coming off a bye week as well, I think it comes down to getting back to that competitive spirt and making sure that your execution is good. That will be the difference makers in the game tonight."
Another wrinkle in this evening's matchup is a battle in the standings, with both clubs looking for an edge in the playoff picture. Dallas holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, four points ahead of Colorado, but the Avs have two games in hand on the Stars and three on the Chicago Blackhawks, who are in the last postseason position in the west.
"Obviously these division games, we know the difference these games make in the standings," said Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog. "These are four-point games, and especially against a team like Dallas, just a few spots ahead of us in the standings."
The first game back from the bye will be anything but normal for the Avalanche. Not only will the team be playing on the road for the first time since Dec. 23, Colorado held its morning skate at the Dallas Stars' practice facility with the NBA Dallas Mavericks playing an afternoon game at American Airlines Center. It is also a later start time with an 8 p.m. local puck drop (7 p.m. MT).
The contest will be a good challenge for the Avs to see how quickly they can get back into the swing of the season.
"The bye week is what it is and the break is what it is, and we just have to go out there and play and try to find that rhythm as quick as possible," said Landeskog. "Have a no excuse attitude."
