The Dallas Stars will host the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, April 21, in Game 2 of their first-round 2025 playoff series. They’ll be looking to bounce back after a 5-1 loss in Game 1. Neither team has announced any lineup changes or injuries since the opener.
Historically, Dallas has done well in Game 2s, posting a 5-2 record in that spot since the 2022 playoffs. According to analysts, Game 1 was closer than the final score suggests. The Stars also went 1-1-1 in the regular-season series against Colorado.
Projected Lineups for Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
Stars forward and former Avalanche player Mikko Rantanen will be looking to notch his first point of the series in Game 2. The Finnish forward posted 32 goals and 56 assists for 88 points this season, most of them coming with Colorado before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and later to the Stars.
“I don’t know if you ever feel good about being down in a series, but there’s a formula in there for us to win games at this time of year in the playoffs against a good team in what we did last night. We’ve got to go back and do it again and add a few things,” Stars coach Peter DeBoer told NHL.com.
Dallas also has forward Wyatt Johnston, who has four goals and two assists in his last 10 games. But it’ll be up to goalie Jake Oettinger and the defense to tighten things up after allowing five goals in Game 1.
The Avalanche will be hoping Nathan MacKinnon, a Hart Trophy frontrunner, delivers again. The Canadian forward scored two goals and added an assist in the Game 1 win. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood also stood out, allowing just one goal.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams, according to The Daily Faceoff.
Avalanche Projected Lineup
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas — Jonathan Drouin — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin — Joel Kiviranta — Charlie Coyle — Ross Colton — Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor
Defensemen
Devon Toews — Cale Makar — Ryan Lindgren — Josh Manson — Samuel Girard — Erik Johnson
Goalies
Mackenzie Blackwood — Scott Wedgewood
Scratched
Sam Malinski — Keaton Middleton — Jimmy Vesey — Miles Wood
Injured
Gabriel Landeskog (knee surgery)
Stars Projected Lineup
Forwards
Mikael Granlund — Roope Hintz — Evgenii Dadonov — Mason Marchment — Matt Duchene — Tyler Seguin — Jamie Benn — Wyatt Johnston — Mikko Rantanen — Oskar Bäck — Sam Steel — Mavrik Bourque
Defensemen
Esa Lindell — Cody Ceci — Thomas Harley — Ilya Lyubushkin — Lian Bichsel — Alexander Petrovic
Goaltenders
Jake Oettinger — Casey DeSmith
Scratched
Colin Blackwell — Mathew Dumba — Brendan Smith
Injured
Miro Heiskanen (knee) — Nils Lundkvist (shoulder) — Jason Robertson (lower body)