Anton Khudobin will start his seventh consecutive game for the Dallas Stars, who will go for their sixth straight win when they play the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Wednesday.
Khudobin has allowed five goals on 71 shots (.930 save percentage) to win the first two games against the Avalanche. He made 38 saves, half of which came in the first period, in a 5-2 win in Game 2 on Monday.
"I haven't seen a drop in his play in two years," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We're not surprised by what we're seeing. The guys have 100 percent faith and confidence in [Khudobin], and he delivers."
Pavel Francouz will start his second straight game for the Avalanche because Philipp Grubauer remains out indefinitely. Defenseman Erik Johnson also is unfit to play for Colorado.
As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.
Colorado's top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog has combined for 11 points, including all five of its goals, in the two games against Dallas. MacKinnon has scored three goals. Rantanen and Landeskog have scored one each.
However, coach Jared Bednar indicated a change could be coming to ignite the rest of the lineup, which has combined for four points, all assists, in the series.
"The one thing we've talked about, we've used since we've been here, is trying to move Landeskog away from [MacKinnon] and Mikko," Bednar said. "They have a little something going on there, and [Landeskog] has historically, and since we've been here, has been able to help other lines beside [MacKinnon] and Mikko."
Here are 3 keys to Game 3:
