Avs Look To Tighten Series In Game 3 vs. Stars

The Colorado Avalanche looks to get back in the series in Game 3 on Wednesday as the team trails 2-0 to the Dallas Stars in the best-of-seven conference semifinals. Colorado lost 5-2 on Monday in Game 2.
The Avs held a 2-0 lead nearly halfway into the second period of the second contest from power-play goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, but they couldn't stop the Stars' comeback that featured five unanswered markers.
Colorado outshot Dallas 40-27 in the contest, including by a 20-6 margin in the first period and 9-3 in the third. Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz saved 22 of the 26 shots he faced while Dallas' Anton Khudobin rejected 38-of-40 the other way.

Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars | Game 2

Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta
| Game Time: | 8:30 p.m. MT | | --- | --- | | TV: | NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports | | Radio: | Altitude Sports Radio, FM 92.5 (KKSE) | | Live Streams: | NHL.tv, Official app, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app (blackouts apply) | | Online Audio: | Listen Live Here | | Follow: | Virtual GameDay, Digital Arena, Playoff Central, @Avalanche, Official app, Gamecenter |

COLORADO-DALLAS CONNECTIONS

Valeri Nichushkin was selected in the first round (No. 10 overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Dallas Stars and played four seasons with the franchise… Stars forward Blake Comeau played for Colorado from 2015-2018… Kevin Connauton, who played in his first playoff game with the Avs on Monday, skated parts of two seasons with the Stars from 2013-2015… Dallas goaltender Ben Bishop was born in Denver.

HISTORY

The Stars scored five goals in each of the first two games in Round 2, winning 5-3 on Saturday and 5-2 on Monday. Nathan MacKinnon and Alexander Radulov lead the series in points, as both players have three goals and two assists. Radulov has netted the winning goal in both outings.
The Avs beat the Stars 4-0 on Aug. 5 during round-robin play of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, as Pavel Francouz became the first goalie in franchise history to post a shutout in his first playoff start. Andre Burakovsky (one goal, one assist), Joonas Donskoi (one goal, one assist) and Sam Girard (two assists) each turned in two-point efforts.
Colorado went 0-2-2 against the Stars in the regular season, dropping the first two in November in regulation before losing the next two in extra time, both by a score of 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon led the team with three points (one goal, two assists) against Dallas. J.T. Compher scored two goals against the Stars while Matt Nieto and Cale Makar each recorded two assists.
The Avalanche holds a 69-53-23 all-time mark against Dallas in the regular season, with a 46-35-19 record since moving to Denver in 1995. MacKinnon has 30 points (10 goals and 20 assists) in 31 career games against Dallas, the most he's tallied against one opponent.
The Avs and Stars have played four times in the playoffs, with each team winning twice. Colorado won the last two series in five games, both in the conference quarterfinals in 2004 and 2006. Dallas won in seven games in both the 1999 and 2000 Western Conference Finals.

ROSTER REPORT

Head coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday that Matt Calvert remains day-to-day and his status for Game 3 has yet to be determined. Calvert could be a game-time decision. Bednar also said he is leaning toward keeping veterans in the lineup for Wednesday's contest rather than elevating younger players into a starting role. Pavel Francouz will start again in net in Game 3. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer and defenseman Erik Johnson are both out indefinitely with injuries.

SCOUTING THE STARS

With 35 goals, the Stars are fourth in scoring this postseason, behind the Vancouver Canucks (39), Vegas Golden Knights (37) and the Avalanche (36). Dallas' power play ranks third among remaining teams, converting on 22.9 percent of opportunities. The Stars are 2-for-5 in the series after scoring twice on the man advantage in Game 2.
Miro Heiskanen leads the team during the playoffs with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists), and Alexander Radulov tops the Stars during Round 2 with five points (three goals, two assists). Jamie Benn has four assists, and Tyler Seguin has three points (one goal, two assists). Anton Khudobin holds a .921 save percentage through nine starts and has a .930 save percentage in the series.

(AVS) PLAYER TO WATCH: Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon is still the scoring leader in the NHL with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) thanks to another strong start in Round 2. MacKinnon opened the scoring for Colorado in both Games 1 and 2, and he grabbed a key assist in the second period on both nights as well.
The Hart Trophy finalist has recorded at least a point in every postseason contest this year and is on a 10-game point streak, tied for the longest in franchise history. He has also registered multiple points in four consecutive contests.

(OPPOSING) PLAYER TO WATCH: Alexander Radulov

Alexander Radulov has come up clutch in the series. After earning an assist on the first goal in Game 1, he extended Dallas' lead to 3-1 in the first period and then tallied again to make the score 4-2 in the second frame.
In Game 2, Radulov assisted on the Stars' first tally to cut their deficit in half before scoring the eventual game-winner late in the second period. He's done this all while averaging just 13:22 on the ice in the first two contests.

NUMBERS GAME

3

Three of the top five point producers in the NHL playoffs are on the Avalanche, as Nathan MacKinnon leads all players with 18 (seven goals, 11 assists). Mikko Rantanen is fourth with 13 points (four goals, nine assists), and Nazem Kadri is tied for fifth with 12 points (six goals, six assists). Gabriel Landeskog isn't far behind either as he has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists).

4

With a goal and an assist in Game 2, Nathan MacKinnon completed his fourth straight multi-point outing. He is looking to become the first Colorado player with two or more points in five straight postseason outings since Peter Forsberg in 2002.

27:48

Cale Makar logged 27:48 of ice time in Game 2. It is the most minutes in the playoffs by a rookie in Avalanche history.

28.9

The Avs still own the best power play among remaining playoff teams, converting on 28.9 percent of opportunities.

NOTEBOOK

Mikko Rantanen is on a five-game point streak (three goals, five assists), while Gabriel Landeskog is on a four-game point streak (one goal, six assists)... Colorado has taken at least 30 shots in nine of its 10 playoff games… Nathan MacKinnon's seven goals in the playoffs are the most by an Avs player since Joe Sakic in 2003-04 (also seven).