Since the Stanley Cup win in 2022, the Avalanche have won just one playoff series and lost two Game 7s in the process. With MacKinnon and Cale Makar at the height of their primes, Colorado has to find a way to get back over the playoff hump for another deep run.

The game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, is the only one on the schedule Saturday night, May 3. It's a big one, with the winner advancing to the second round and the loser heading home for the summer.

The Stars, meanwhile, are set up for a deep run. They managed to beat the mighty Avalanche without their top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, and one of their top scorers, Jason Robertson. Both have been skating with the team and could return in the second round against Winnipeg or St. Louis.