Colorado @ Dallas preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 5, 2019 ) Colorado 1, Dallas 4

The Dallas Stars will return from a much needed five-day break Saturday when they host the Colorado Avalanche. The Stars have lost three of four while trying to keep pace in a tight Western Conference playoff picture that sees them in wild card position.

The Stars are tied with the Bruins and Islanders for the fewest goals allowed this season (95) but have surrendered 12 in their last two games and gave up a season-high three power-play goals Sunday during their 5-1 loss to Calgary. “We’re just out of sync,” Rick Bowness told reporters Sunday after dropping to 3-3-1 as Stars interim coach. “Our penalty kill has won us a lot of games. It cost us a game tonight, but it wasn’t the only reason we lost tonight. We scored one goal.” The Avalanche have not had issues putting the puck in the net this season as they have buried a NHL-best 138 goals, including a team-high 22 from Nathan MacKinnon. Colorado left winger Matt Calvert scored a pair of goals for the second time in three games Friday but it wasn’t enough as the Avalanche matched their season high in goals allowed during a 6-4 setback against Minnesota.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), Altitude 2 (Colorado)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (23-12-3): Goaltender Philipp Grubauer (2.86 goals against average, .913 save percentage) is expected to get the nod Saturday after Pavel Francouz allowed five goals during Friday’s loss. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his ninth of the season Friday, giving him six goals in 11 games since returning from a 16-game absence because of a lower-body injury. Defenseman Cale Makar recorded an assist and was a minus-2 versus Minnesota after missing eight games with an upper-body injury and sits second among rookies with 29 points - five behind Buffalo’s Victor Olofsson.

ABOUT THE STARS (20-14-4): Center Tyler Seguin saw his season-high goal scoring streak end at three games Sunday but still leads the team with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists). Joe Pavelski has struggled in his first season with the Stars as the 35-year-old has scored twice in his last 19 games and is on pace for 15 goals, which would be his lowest total since he netted 14 as a rookie in 2006-07 with the Sharks. Goaltender Ben Bishop is 0-3-1 with an .862 save percentage since he recorded his only shutout of the season Dec. 10 against the Devils.

OVERTIME

1. Stars LW Roope Hintz is ninth on the team with 55 shots but first with 12 goals.

2. Avalanche D Ryan Graves leads the NHL in plus-minus with a plus-27 rating.

3. Dallas has won both meetings against Colorado this season with a 2-1 road victory Nov. 1 and a 4-1 triumph at home Nov. 5.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Stars 2