The Dallas Stars, and the Colorado Avalanche have a history against each other. Seven playoff meetings, and four of them going the distance.

All-time, the Stars hold a 5-2 playoff series lead over the Avs, despite a 22-23 record against them. It’s all about the quality of a series win over the quantity of playoff losses.

Artist vs House Painters

Legendary former Stars head coach Ken Hitchcock famously coined the phrase of this rivalry from its birth. In a matchup of the artists vs the house painters, the Stars saw this series take a turn for the worst after game five. Seeing the Avalanche take control of the series three games to two, the Avalanche did it with an offensive 7-5 victory. A hockey game that felt more like a couple kids playing air hockey at an arcade than a Stars game.

Deciding to prevent anymore wild wild West styled shootouts, the Stars took the last two games by a deciding pair of 4-1 victories. Giving the Stars a WCF series win on their terms of blue collar, defense first hockey.

The 2000 WCF had a closer feel to it, but the same Stars in seven result. Stars were the team with a 3-2 series lead. Avs win game six in Denver. Dallas wins the series 4-3 by a final score of 3-2. Marking a second straight Stanley Cup finals appearance for the 1999 champs.

The 04-06 blues

2004 was a year where the Avalanche were miles ahead of the Stars.  Beating the Stars in five, and winning all three games played in Denver.  A team that already had Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, and Peter Forsberg went supernova by adding Paul Kariya, and Teemu Selanne.  A roster push for a Stanley Cup that would fizzle out in the next round to the San Jose Sharks.

Despite all of the success Jussi Jokinen had in the shootout in its inaugural year, the Stars couldn’t score past 60 minutes in the playoffs.  Avalanche won that series in five too.   This time winning all three meetings in Dallas, and winning three of their four games (including the deciding fifth games) in overtime.

JFK 2020

After former Stars forward Andrew Cogliano got injured, former head coach Rick Bowness needed to add somebody into the lineup. Joel Kiviranta, now with the Avs ironically, became a cult hero in Dallas following a game seven hat trick.

Not only did Kiviranta score three goals on the day of September 4, 2020, he scored in overtime to win the series too. Not a bad game for somebody coming in off the bench. While Kiviranta is not with the Stars he certainly established his NHL career that day. And you never know, he could one day come back to Dallas for a second stint. Stars fans wouldn’t mind it if he ever does.

Back to back wins

2024, and 2025 saw two former Avs finishing off their old team in back to back years. First it was Matt Duchene in the second round of the central division bracket. One year later, it was a 2022 Cup champ who had been a part of a couple news worthy trades all before the playoffs were set.

Both of the 2025 biggest trade acquisitions was Mikko Rantanen. First, the Avalanche traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes. After a month and a half of difficulty gelling under Canes’ coach Rod Brind’amour’s system, they shipped him off in another blockbuster trade where the moose landed in Dallas.

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Why is all of this so relevant here? Because this past Saturday May 3rd, Rantanen got his revenge. With the Stars down 2-0 in the third period, Rantanen single-handedly turned around the game and series. Scored twice to tie it. An assist on sharp shooter Wyatt Johnston’s game winner. He also got an empty net goal for the hat trick, and silenced any hope for a Colorado series win.

Avalanche nation surely hates the Dallas Stars.   Setting up for more chapters in this rivalry of more than a quarter of a century.

Featured photo: Ponoco Record/AP