Colorado’s key players performed while Dallas’ did not. Whether it was the impressive November comeback, overturning a three-goal disadvantage to clinch a 6-3 victory at home, or the January match where they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to secure a 5-4 win, the Colorado Avalanche demonstrated once again why underestimating them is a mistake.
The Colorado Avalanche encountered a formidable Dallas Stars team, fresh off a hard-earned victory against their former Western Conference Final opponent in a tense Game 7. The Stars, who topped the Central Division in the regular season, had home ice advantage for the second round against Colorado.
Following a brief break between rounds, the Avalanche needed time to regain their momentum. Although they initially trailed 3-0 against Dallas in Game 1, they managed to rally and secure the win.
Remarkably, the Avalanche have scored 32 goals in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, marking a franchise record for the most goals scored in the first six games of postseason play.
Game 1 of the second round provided an intriguing insight into strategic gameplay. Both teams analyzed their opponent’s performances in the first round for potential weaknesses and aimed to capitalize on them.
Matt Duchene remarked, “That’s a high-energy team over there. The game had a very different style. We need to assert our game throughout the entire 60 minutes, especially when we have possession of the puck.”
During the first period, Tyler Seguin closely tracked Josh Manson like a predator circling its prey. Manson was stationed at his defensive blue line while Colorado controlled the puck up the ice. Seguin’s tactic was to bait Manson into a vulnerable position, anticipating a turnover to initiate a swift counterattack. Despite Manson successfully defending against Seguin’s advances and transitioning the play back up the ice, it felt reminiscent of a scene from a nature documentary, observing Seguin eagerly awaiting an opportunity to catch the Avalanche off guard.
Dallas made it a priority to disrupt Colorado’s strong possession game by swiftly clearing pucks from their defensive zone, preventing the Avalanche from capitalizing on second-chance opportunities.
Conversely, the Stars recognized that maintaining possession after their initial shot attempts would enable them to dictate the flow of the game. By positioning a player in front of the net to create a screen, they capitalized on their first goal by firing shots from a distance to obstruct Alexandar Georgiev’s view.
In a pivotal play, Mikko Rantanen lost control of the puck behind the goal line, allowing Dallas to regain possession. Matt Duchene outmaneuvered Val Nichushkin along the boards, leading to Ryan Suter settling the puck at the point and unleashing a wrist shot towards the net. Tyler Seguin positioned himself near the corner, anticipating the puck’s movement and swiftly making his way to the crease. Despite Sam Girard’s attempt to intercept him, Seguin managed to evade his defense and position himself effectively inside the scoring area.
If Rantanen had matched the urgency of Dallas’ defensive efforts to swiftly clear the puck from his team’s zone, the Stars wouldn’t have had the opportunity for a second scoring attempt.
Colorado, however, had a counter-strategy in place, requiring minor tweaks and a boost in intensity.
Jamie Benn remarked, “You can’t let up against these guys. They’re a formidable team and they constantly pressure you. They dominated the second period and managed to score early in the third. We had our opportunities to win the game.”
Despite being down three goals, Colorado’s first-period performance instilled hope. The game didn’t seem out of reach, despite trailing in shots. The Avalanche maintained pressure by delivering hits and forcing turnovers, proving that Dallas was not impervious.
Their second-period display further fueled optimism. Colorado outshot Dallas 11-3 and dominated high-danger scoring opportunities 5-1.
Similar to Dallas’ strategy against Vegas, the Stars made it challenging for the Avalanche to utilize their speed through the neutral zone. They contained Colorado’s lateral movements to disrupt their offensive flow, forcing the Avs to work harder for offensive zone time.
In a notable play during the second period, Nathan MacKinnon attempted to maneuver past Esa Lindell for a scoring chance, but Lindell skillfully defended with his stick, showcasing the difficulty of executing such moves at this level of competition. Despite this setback, Colorado gained momentum from the sequence, with Val Nichushkin drawing a penalty on the ensuing shift.
