Early look The full preview opens on Thursday 21 January, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche: game preview

Puck drop24 Jan · 5:00 PM ET
VenueBall Arena
All-time meetings167 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Nine points apart last season

Dallas finished last season 3rd in the league on 112 points. Colorado finished 1st on 121, and the 2025-26 season series went DAL 2-1-1.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 168

Across 167 completed games, Colorado lead the head-to-head 85-58-24.

All-time record85-58-24Colorado's record in the series
Meetings played167This is number 168
2025-26 seriesDAL 2-1-1
Last 53-2Dallas
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
4 Apr 2026COL 2 – DAL 022–17COL 0/1 · DAL 0/2COL
18 Mar 2026DAL 2 – COL 1 SO18–34DAL 0/2 · COL 1/2DAL
6 Mar 2026COL 5 – DAL 4 SO29–21COL 2/5 · DAL 1/4COL
11 Oct 2025DAL 5 – COL 4 SO22–39DAL 0/2 · COL 1/4DAL
3 May 2025COL 2 – DAL 427–19COL 0/2 · DAL 2/4DAL
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDallasColorado
11 Oct 20252-0-0 · 4 pts6th2-0-1 · 5 pts3rd
6 Mar 202629-14-9 · 67 pts6th35-6-9 · 79 pts1st
18 Mar 202643-15-10 · 96 pts2nd44-13-10 · 98 pts1st
4 Apr 202645-20-12 · 102 pts4th50-15-10 · 110 pts1st

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 11 Oct 2025, Dallas were 6th in the league and Colorado 3rd. By 4 Apr 2026 it was 4th and 1st.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Colorado out-attempted Dallas 333 to 221

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Dallas Stars

221 att · 97 on goal · 13 G · 13.4%
Crease27 att · 4 G
Slot92 att · 4 G
Wing74 att · 4 G
Point21 att · 1 G
Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

Colorado Avalanche

333 att · 151 on goal · 13 G · 8.6%
Crease16 att · 3 G
Slot122 att · 3 G
Wing129 att · 7 G
Point60 att · 0 G
Neutral zone6 att · 0 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Colorado have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

DallasColorado
3.08xG for per game3.16
2.44xG against per game2.55
55.8%xG share55.4%
−3.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals+7.7
+1.3GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+0.1

This season: 3 games for Dallas, 2 for Colorado. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Dallas

Small sample
Power play · 2026-270.0%
Power play · 2025-2628.6% · 2nd
Power play · last 5 meetings3/14 · 21.4%
Penalty kill · 2026-2777.8%
Penalty kill · 2025-2680.3% · 13th
Faceoffs · 2026-2755.1% · 86/156
Drawn · 2026-278 (2.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings14 (2.80/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings3

Colorado

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2744.4%
Power play · 2025-2617.1% · 27th
Power play · last 5 meetings4/14 · 28.6%
Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2684.6% · 1st
Faceoffs · 2026-2746.8% · 58/124
Drawn · 2026-279 (4.50/gm)
Drawn · last meetings14 (2.80/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings4

Skaters

Nathan MacKinnon has 9 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
14Jamie Benn31120.67
96Mikko Rantanen31120.67
21Jason Robertson31120.67
88Martin Necas22242.00
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
57Tyler Myers30000.00
23Esa Lindell30000.00
42Josh Manson21231.50
8Cale Makar21231.50
7Devon Toews20221.00
Defencemen stats

Nathan MacKinnon vs Dallas · game by game

See all: Nathan MacKinnon vs Dallas · game by game →
DateVenueGAPSOGTOI
4 Apr 2026away101220:47
18 Mar 2026home011526:40
6 Mar 2026away123227:21
11 Oct 2025home123425:01
3 May 2025away101622:24
Last 5 meetings9 P4 G, 5 A · 19 SOG
Next best9 PMartin Necas, COL
2026-27 season5 P2 GP · 2 G
Blank vs DAL0 of 5A point in every meeting
Full game log

Goaltending

Scott Wedgewood has started most of these meetings

Scott Wedgewood played 4 of the last 5 meetings with Dallas, with a .925 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 22 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 22 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

DAL · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 21 Jan

SV% · 2026-27.9432 GP · 1.01 GAA · 2025-26 .899
vs Colorado.9154 app · 129 SA · 11 GA
GSAx · 2026-27+2.02 starts · most on the roster
vs COLVenueSAGASV%
18 Mar 2026away341.971
6 Mar 2026home294.862
11 Oct 2025away394.897
3 May 2025home272.926

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Casey DeSmith .923 (1 GP)

Full game log

COL · 31-6-6 in 2025-26 Starter estimate from 21 Jan

SV% · 2025-26.92145 GP · 2.02 GAA
vs Dallas.9254 app · 67 SA · 5 GA
GSAx · 2025-26+21.343 starts
vs DALVenueSAGASV%
4 Apr 2026away1701.000
18 Mar 2026home181.944
6 Mar 2026away1001.000
11 Oct 2025home224.818

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Mackenzie Blackwood .912 (2 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

4 Apr 20262 · COL 2–0 DAL
18 Mar 20263 · DAL 2–1 COL
6 Mar 20269 · COL 5–4 DAL
11 Oct 20259 · DAL 5–4 COL
3 May 20256 · COL 2–4 DAL

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Dallas2.002.003.402.76
Colorado7.002.503.682.48

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings5.8Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

8 on the injury lists

Dallas · injuries

Cameron HughesUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct
Harrison ScottUndisclosedIRReturn8 Oct
Luke KrysUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct
Matt DucheneLower BodyIRReturn25 Oct

Colorado · injuries

Georgii MerkulovUndisclosedIRReturn16 Oct
Logan O'ConnorLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Trent MinerUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct
Zachary L'HeureuxLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
5 Oct · DAL

Assigned D Cameron Bertucci to Texas (AHL).

1 Oct · DAL

Placed F Matt Duchene on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 29. Recalled Fs Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from Texas (AHL).

30 Sep · DAL

Signed G Casey DeSmith to a two-year contract.

27 Sep · COL

Placed LD Keaton Middleton, LD Wyatt Aamodt, RW/LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and LW Tristen Nielsen on waivers.

27 Sep · COL

Placed D Keaton Middleton, D Wyatt Aamodt, LW Fabian Lysell, C Vinnie Hinostroza, LW Adam Beckman and G Mads Sogaard Nielsen on waivers.

25 Sep · COL

Reassigned Ds Domenick Fensore, Saige Weinstein and Christian Wolanin to Colorado (AHL).

Injury report
#59Jakub VanecekRound 2 · Tri-cityD
#155Ryan BrownRound 5 · LondonLW
#187Anton Emil Wilde LarsenRound 6 · FrederikshavnG
#197Jasper KuhtaRound 7 · OttawaC
Full draft
#43Egor ShilovRound 2 · VictoriavilleC
#74Beckett HamiltonRound 3 · Red DeerC
#126Tobias TvrznikRound 4 · WenatcheeG
#128Axel ElofssonRound 4 · Orebro Jr.D
Full draft

Updated after every final