Game Preview: Stars Face “Biggest Test Of The Season” Against Soaring Avalanche in Matinee Matchup

The Stars feel that Sunday will be the biggest test this season as they host the Colorado Avalanche in an afternoon game at the American Airlines Center. The game will be the first of a back-to-back home and home against the Avalanche, with the Stars traveling to Colorado on Tuesday.

Colorado is 9-0-1 in their last 10 games and holds the highest goal-differential in the league at +55.

The craziest part of their recent run is that they have done nearly half of it without the help of Nathan Mackinnon, who has missed the last four games with a facial fracture. Mackinnon is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday against Dallas.

The task of slowing down the Avalanche top line will once again fall on the Stars top trio of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski. Along with being the most productive line this season, they have become one of the best two-way lines, often forcing the opponents to play in their own end, eliminating their offensive potential.

“I don’t really check, I am just playing hockey,” Robertson said. “I am still out there trying to score goals. If you’re doing that, you are not in the D zone and you’re just trying to stay above their guys. It’s good we are getting that opportunity and helping our team win.”

There will likely be a different looking lineup on the ice for Dallas, as they have seen a few injuries over the past few games. Radek Faksa, John Klingberg, and Andrej Sekera are all nursing minor injuries and remain questionable for Sunday’s game. Faksa did skate before practice on Saturday but did not participate in any drills while Sekera and Klingberg were both absent.

“No skate in the morning so, when they come to the rink,” Bowness said when asked how they will evaluate the decisions on injuries. “If they wake up and they are not feeling good, we’ll make other plans. But we really won’t know until the morning.”

Dallas called up Thomas Harley from the Texas Stars on Saturday, so he will be the most likely replacement if Klingberg can’t go. Tanner Kero will remain in the lineup if Faksa is forced to miss another game.

For what feels like the first time in a month, Braden Holtby will get the start in net against the Avalanche. It will be his first start since being pulled against his former club when the Washington Capitals beat the Stars 5-0 on home ice on Jan. 28.

Holtby has a 9-9-1 record this season with a 2.76 goals-against average and .913 save percentage but holds a dominant 6-1-0 record in his career against Colorado. This game will be a huge opportunity for him to get back into the rotation and prove that he can play at the elite level we saw earlier in the season.

“Holtby will play tomorrow,” Bowness said after practice. “We gotta get him in, we can’t let him sit too long. We’ve got a lot of games coming up so we've got to keep them both fresh.”

The Stars have played two of their eight straight games against the Central Division. So far, it has been perfect, as they have won both games, scoring four goals in each contest. Now, the test becomes even tougher, so it is time to see where they are as a team.