The Dallas Stars will put their franchise-record 10-game winning streak on the line Friday night when they welcome the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche to the American Airlines Center.
The pair Central Division rivals sit atop the division entering the game with Colorado (41-10-9) currently sitting in first place and Dallas (38-14-9) not far behind.
The two teams are among the best in hockey and have been for a few years, leading to multiple playoff bouts, including last year’s dramatic seven-game series. Given the quality of both teams this season, Friday’s game could very well be a preview of yet another playoff series.
Here are three things to know about the marquee matchup.
Sports Roundup
How to watch
When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Where: American Airlines Center in Dallas
TV/Streaming: Victory+
Radio: Sportsradio 96.7/1310 The Ticket
Battle of the NHL’s best
Friday’s game is a matchup of the two best teams in hockey based on record. The Stars’ 85 points on the season are second only to the Avalanche’s 91 points.
Chasing down Colorado in the Central Division is a lofty task for Dallas to complete given Colordado’s quality and how little season is left. If the Stars have designs on closing the six-point gap that exists between the teams in the final quarter of the season, Friday’s bout is massively important.
Post-deadline additions
Both teams have had busy trade deadlines.
The Stars landed defenseman Tyler Myers and left winger Michael Bunting to shore up their blue line and add some much-needed scoring depth. Meanwhile, Colorado sent a conditional fifth-round pick and a top-10-protected first rounder in the 2027 draft to Toronto for Nicolas Roy, who will slide in as the No. 3 center.
The Avalanche have also added defensemen Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg.
Kulak has been playing for Colorado, but given the recency of the other deals, it’s unclear if all the teams’ deadline prizes will suit up on Friday night. One thing is clear: Dallas and Colorado each pushed their chips in for a Stanley Cup at the trade deadline.
Glen Gulutzan says Stars have had Friday’s bout with Avalanche circled all seasonFriday’s TV/Radio listings (March 6)
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