The stakes couldn’t be higher as the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars gear up for a do-or-die Game 7 in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. With both teams tied 3-3 in the series, the Saturday, May 3, clash at the American Airlines Center in Dallas promises high drama, intense rivalries, and nail-biting action.
Projected Lineups for Avalanche vs. Stars | Game 7
The Avalanche are riding high after a dominant Game 6 win, while the Stars will look to capitalize on their home-ice advantage and experience in pressure-filled moments. This winner-takes-all matchup has all the ingredients of an unforgettable playoff showdown.
Colorado Avalanche Projected Lineup
Forwards
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Nečas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Jonathan Drouin — Charlie Coyle — Joel Kiviranta
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor
Defense
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Ryan Lindgren — Sam Malinski
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Dallas Stars Projected Lineup
Forwards
Mikael Granlund — Roope Hintz — Mikko Rantanen
Mason Marchment — Matt Duchene — Tyler Seguin
Jamie Benn — Wyatt Johnston — Evgenii Dadonov
Oskar Bäck — Sam Steel — Colin Blackwell
Defense
Esa Lindell — Cody Ceci
Thomas Harley — Ilya Lyubushkin
Lian Bichsel — Alex Petrovic
Goaltenders
Jake Oettinger
Casey DeSmith
Key Matchups To Watch
Nathan MacKinnon vs. Jake Oettinger: MacKinnon’s explosive offense will test Oettinger’s goaltending skills.
Cale Makar vs. Mikko Rantanen: Makar’s defensive acumen will be crucial in containing Rantanen’s offensive threats.
Special Teams: Both teams’ power play and penalty kill units could be game-changers in this tightly contested matchup.
Game 7 Odds
Moneyline
Dallas Stars: -120 (favorites)
Colorado Avalanche: +100 (underdogs)
Puck Line
Stars -1.5: +200
Avalanche +1.5: -240
Over/Under
Total Goals: 5.5
Over: -110
Under: -110
To Win Series
Dallas Stars: -125
Colorado Avalanche: +105
Such decisive contests tend to be aggressive duels with low-scoring results. Throughout the series, Colorado has shown significant offensive strength during their Game 6 performance. Under the heavy pressure, both Oettinger and Georgiev will most likely need to defend against numerous shots as defense becomes the main focus of play.
The defensive intensity for both sides will strengthen as they face each other in Game 7. Stars have experienced success with the under bet in Game 7s throughout their last eight appearances.
The Avalanche will encounter stronger defensive challenges when their top attacking unit plays on opposing territory. Teams tend to play defensively at the start of Game 7 games as they approach the contest with caution.
Throughout their recent three games, both the Avalanche and the Stars have given up no more than two opening-period goals.
