Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/13/2022

Time: 2 p.m. ET

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

Where to watch: BSSW+, ALT

DraftKings: Avalanche -165, Stars +135

BetMGM: NL

Caesars: NL

Avalanche: 33-8-4

Stars: 25-18-2

Avalanche: won 16 of 18

Stars: won 3 of 4

Nathan MacKinnon is back. If you are afraid of what the Colorado Avalanche will look like as the best team in hockey, with one of the best players in the world, might I suggest you proceed to your nearest bunker and stay there for the rest of the season?

MacKinnon will be returning to the lineup Sunday when the Avalanche visit the Dallas Stars after missing four games with a broken nose before the All-Star break.

It's not like the Avalanche have missed MacKinnon so much, even though he's played only 31 games this season. Clearly, we know that when MacKinnon gets into the lineup, good things tend to happen for Colorado. But even with MacKinnon out of the lineup, the Avalanche continue to find ways to win. And winning big ways.

Dallas and Colorado will be playing a home and home starting on Sunday, and then rolling into Tuesday. No disrespect to Tuesday's game, but all eyes will be on Wednesday when Colorado visits T-Mobile Arena to take on the Vegas Golden Knights and potentially Jack Eichel.

We will likely get to that game later in the week, so stay tuned for all the hoopla surrounding that one. But Colorado at this moment, as the reigning Presidents Trophy winners, are in a two-team duel with the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the NHL.

And if there was ever any doubt that Colorado would possibly falter without their top player, they continue to defy the laws of physics. Colorado has won 16 of its last 18 games and is coming off a hard-fought 3-2 victory against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

Devon Toews had a goal and an assist, and Valeri Nichushkin added a goal for Colorado’s most impressive victory of this stretch. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog also added a goal with his team putting up 47 shots on Andrei Vasilevskiy.

“I think we had a good plan,” Landeskog said. “Everyone was in the right positions and we were giving them a whole lot of looks. In those situations, the scary ones are kind of the wrist shots from the top. You’re trying to make sure that Kemps could see them. I think he did a good job of fronting those pucks and everybody did a good job of staying in position. We were tired at the end, but at that point, it’s just empty the tank.”

There are plenty of components as to why the Avalanche have been able to stay competitive with MacKinnon missing more time than he’d like. One of them is Nazem Kadri, who was an All-Star for the first time this season and is on pace for well over 100 points.

When Landeskog, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen not being the 100-point guys and Kadri having an all-time season, it’s pretty ridiculous to think that sort of play is even fathomable. 

And part of me wants to believe that given the fact that Colorado is playing this game on the road, it would be very easy to just think that Dallas will continue its hot streak at home. And while I think there is a lot to be excited about with the Stars after consecutive one-goal victories coming out of the All-Star break, a fully healthy Colorado team is similar to the death star fully operational.

And while I look at Dallas and I love what Jason Robertson has done, and for as much as Joe Pavelski has been able to turn back the clock and look like the best player on the Stars at this moment, I can't help but look at a healthy MacKinnon in that lineup when they're clicking on all cylinders and think that Colorado should walk all over them in this game.

When the series shifts to Dallas on Tuesday, I can see Colorado taking its foot off the gas before the Vegas game the next night. But with MacKinnon back and the Avalanche playing like the best team in the league, I have a hunch the Stars are going to be running into a buzz saw. Avalanche win 4-1

The Avalanche are 27-15 off two consecutive unders.

The Avalanche are 61-28 after playing at home their previous game.

The Stars are 29-15 after covering three of their last four.

Avalanche:

Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen

Valeri Nichushkin -- Nazem Kadri -- Andre Burakovsky

J.T. Compher -- Alex Newhook -- Logan O'Connor

Nicolas Aube-Kubel -- Tyson Jost -- Darren Helm

Devon Toews -- Cale Makar

Jack Johnson -- Samuel Girard

Ryan Murray -- Erik Johnson

Darcy Kuemper

Stars:

Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski

Jamie Benn -- Tyler Seguin -- Denis Gurianov

Joel Kiviranta -- Jacob Peterson -- Alexander Radulov

Michael Raffl -- Luke Glendening -- Tanner Kero

Esa Lindell -- John Klingberg

Ryan Suter -- Miro Heiskanen

Joel Hanley -- Jani Hakanpaa

Braden Holtby

Avalanche: Jared Bednar

Stars: Rick Bowness 

Points: Nazem Kadri -- 61

Goals: Mikko Rantanen -- 24

Assists: Nazem Kadri -- 42

Goalie: Darcy Kuemper -- 22-5-2, 2.54 GAA, .916 SV%

Points: Joe Pavelski -- 48

Goals: Roope Hintz -- 21

Assists: Joe Pavelski -- 29

Goalie: Braden Holtby -- 9-9-1, 2.76 GAA, .913 SV%