Game 1 Projected Lineup: Avalanche vs. Stars

Philipp Grubauer will be between the pipes tonight for the Colorado Avalanche as the team opens its Round 2 series with the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Grubauer is 5-0-1 with a 1.49 goals-against average and .937 save percentage this postseason, including a 4-0 mark in the Avs' first-round series with the Arizona Coyotes where he posted a 1.00 goals-against average, .953 save percentage and one shutout. In 18 postseason games with Colorado, the German netminder now has a 12-5-1 record with a 2.03 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.

The second-round matchup marks the fifth postseason meeting between the Avalanche and Stars. Dallas beat Colorado in back-to-back conference finals in 1999 and 2000 and then the Avs beat the Stars in consecutive first-round matchups in 2004 and 2006.

The Avalanche wrapped up the First Round versus Arizona with consecutive 7-1 victories in Games 4-5, scoring seven goals in back-to-back playoff games for the first time in franchise history. The Avs were the first NHL team to score seven-plus goals in consecutive playoff games since the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals versus the Pittsburgh Penguins and became the fourth team in NHL history to do so in the final two games of a series.

Head coach Jared Bednar said after today's optional morning skate that Vladislav Namestnikov, who has been unfit to play for the team's past three games, could be available for the contest. However, based on the way the team has played the last few outings, he is leaning towards keeping the lineup the same.

Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup for Game 1 against the Stars. All forward combinations and defensive pairings are subject to change.

Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 96 Mikko Rantanen
95 Andre Burakovsky - 91 Nazem Kadri - 72 Joonas Donskoi
17 Tyson Jost - 37 J.T. Compher - 13 Valeri Nichushkin
83 Matt Nieto - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 11 Matt Calvert

Defensemen
27 Ryan Graves - 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard - 28 Ian Cole
16 Nikita Zadorov - 6 Erik Johnson

Goaltenders
31 Philipp Grubauer
39 Pavel Francouz

Anton Khudobin is expected to start in net for the Stars, who will be without starting goaltender Ben Bishop to begin the second-round series.

Dallas interim head coach Rick Bowness said in his pregame availability that Bishop remains unfit to play and will not be available for the contest. Bishop went 21-16-4 this season and has appeared in two outing this postseason, making 22-of-26 saves in his last contest, Game 2 of Dallas' first-round series with the Calgary Flames.

Khudobin is 4-3 during the 2020 postseason with a 2.49 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. He allowed four goals on 40 shots in the round-robin matchup against Colorado on Aug. 5.

Forward Mattias Janmark missed the Stars' last outing after blocking a shot in Game 5 of the first-round series and will be a game-time decision tonight. Defenseman Stephen Johns remains unfit to play; his last outing was Game 1 versus the Flames.

Below is Dallas' projected lineup based on the start of Thursday's Game 6 against Calgary. It is subject to change.

Forwards
14 Jamie Benn - 91 Tyler Seguin - 47 Alexander Radulov
24 Roope Hintz - 16 Joe Pavelski - 34 Denis Gurianov
11 Andrew Cogliano - 12 Radek Faksa - 15 Blake Comeau
25 Joel Kiviranta - 18 Jason Dickinson - 10 Corey Perry

Defensemen
23 Esa Lindell - 3 John Klingberg
2 Jamie Oleksiak - 4 Miro Heiskanen
5 Andrej Sekera - 42 Taylor Fedun

Goaltenders
35 Anton Khudobin
29 Jake Oettinger