Avalanche, Stars Set For Game 7 Showdown on Friday

NEW YORK-- After six games, several momentum swings and a combined 48 goals against five different starting goaltenders, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars will decide their Western Conference Second Round series Friday in the first Game 7 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Central Division rivals will meet at Rogers Place in Edmonton with a berth in the Western Conference Final at stake. Start time and national broadcast details are to be determined.
This marks the third time the Avalanche and Stars have extended their series to a seventh game. The two teams went to the limit in the Western Conference Final in consecutive seasons, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, with the Stars prevailing on both occasions at Reunion Arena in Dallas.

The teams have combined for 48 goals, the second-highest total through the first six games of a series in the past 24 years. The Flyers (30) and Penguins (26) totaled 56 in the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which ended in six games. Colorado forward Nathan MacKinnon leads the series in scoring with 5-7--12 and has an active 14-game point streak to begin the postseason, tied for the second-longest such run in League history (Bryan Trottier, NYI: first 18 GP in 1981).
The most Game 7 experience on the Stars roster is found in a pair of major offseason free agent signings, veteran forwards Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry (both 7 GP). The Avalanche's leader in Game 7 appearances was an offseason trade acquisition, forward Andre Burakovsky (5 GP). Pavelski, Perry and Burakovsky each have scored three career goals in Game 7s, the most on both rosters.
The Avalanche are vying to win a best-of-seven series they trailed 3-1 for the first time in franchise history (0-4), while the Stars have yet to lose a series when leading 3-1 since moving from Minnesota to Dallas in 1993. The Stars/North Stars franchise is 10-1 overall with a 3-1 series lead, its lone setback coming as the Minnesota North Stars vs. Detroit in 1992.
Both teams had their 2018-19 Stanley Cup Playoff campaign end with a narrow Game 7 road loss in the Second Round. The Avalanche dropped a 3-2 decision at San Jose and the Stars fell 2-1 in double overtime to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis.
Overall, the Avalanche/Nordiques franchise owns an all-time record of 6-8 in its 14 previous Game 7s. Colorado has lost its past four such appearances and will be shooting for its first win since a 1-0 decision over San Jose in the 2002 Western Conference Semifinals. The Stars/North Stars are 5-8 in their 13 all-time Game 7s. They are in quest of their first winner-take-all victory since eliminating the Avalanche in 1999 and 2000 (0-3 since).
The unique circumstances surrounding the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs make this the first Game 7 in NHL history to be played in a city not home to either club. It also is the first Game 7 in the city of Edmonton since 1990 (and fifth in that city overall).
There has been at least one Game 7 in every postseason since 1978. The only playoff years in the expansion era (since 1967-68) without a Game 7 - 1970, 1973 and 1977 - featured a playoff format with seven best-of-seven series.

Game 7 Trends

Of the 178 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
* The team that scores first is 132-46 (.742)
* Forty-four have required overtime (24.7%)
PDF: Game 7 Notes & Statistics

Team Game 7 Results

Colorado Avalanche (6-8)
5/8/19, Western Conference Second Round. vs. San Jose (COL 2 at SJS 3)
4/30/14, Western Conference First Round vs. Minnesota (MIN 5 at COL 4, OT)
4/22/03, Western Conference QF vs. Minnesota (MIN 3 at COL 2, OT)
5/31/02, Western Conference Final vs. Detroit (COL 0 at DET 7)
5/15/02, Western Conference SF vs. San Jose (SJS 0 at COL 1)
4/29/02, Western Conference QF vs. Los Angeles (LAK 0 at COL 4)
6/9/01, Stanley Cup Final vs. New Jersey (NJD 1 at COL 3)
5/9/01, Western Conference SF vs. Los Angeles (LAK 1 at COL 5)
5/27/00, Western Conference Final vs. Dallas (COL 2 at DAL 3)
6/4/99, Western Conference Final vs. Dallas (COL 1 at DAL 4)
5/4/98, Western Conference QF vs. Edmonton (EDM 4 at COL 0)
5/2/87, Adams Division Final vs. Montreal (QUE 3 at MTL 5)
5/2/85, Adams Division Final vs. Montreal (QUE 3 at MTL 2, OT)
4/25/82, Adams Division Final vs. Boston (QUE 2 at BOS 1)
* includes Quebec Nordiques (1979-1995)
Dallas Stars (5-8)
5/7/19, Western Conference Second Round vs. St. Louis (DAL 1 at STL 2, 2OT)
5/11/16, Western Conference Second Round vs. St. Louis (STL 6 at DAL 1)
4/23/07, Western Conference QF vs. Vancouver (DAL 1 at VAN 4)
5/27/00, Western Conference Final vs. Colorado (COL 2 at DAL 3)
6/4/99, Western Conference Final vs. Colorado (COL 1 at DAL 4)
4/29/97, Western Conference QF vs. Edmonton (EDM 4 at DAL 3, OT)
4/30/92, Norris Division SF vs. Detroit (MNS 2 at DET 5)
4/16/90, Norris Division SF vs. Chicago (MNS 2 at CHI 5)
4/22/84, Norris Division Final vs. St. Louis (STL 3 at MNS 4, OT)
4/27/80, Quarterfinal vs. Montreal (MNS 3 at MTL 2)
4/16/72, Quarterfinal vs. St. Louis (STL 2 at MNS 1, OT)
5/3/68, Semifinal vs. St. Louis (MNS 1 at STL 2, 2OT)
4/18/68, Quarterfinal vs. Los Angeles (MNS 9 at LAK 4)
* includes Minnesota North Stars (1968-1993)