Daniel Wettstein previews Game 3 between Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, as the Avalanche try to stay out of an 0-3 hole against a team they are only 1-6 against so far this season.
Another Denver team in competition, another loss. So went the past weekend that bled into Monday for all fans of all teams from a mile above sea level. Until the Colorado Rockies baseball team won Monday night against Arizona, no Denver team had savored victory since the Avalanche’s last win, when they clinched their 1st-round series, against Arizona.
The Avalanche and their inability to bang the boards with Dallas has allowed one of the worst offenses in the NHL look like, well, the Avalanche. This, while Dallas clamped down even tighter in Game 2 with their 2nd ranked defense, only allowing 2 goals to the leagues 3rd ranked offense.
Defense is where we will stay as even though 7 goals were scored, this was the story of the game. Specifically for Dallas, who had 61 hits to the Avs paltry 29. The Stars also wiped the ice with the Avalanche when it came to blocked shots at a 21-4 advantage. They flat out beat the Avs down physically.
It also doesn’t help that Colorado wasted 7 straight power-plays to close the game. Although it was good to see them stay out of the penalty box after losing the lead when they had lead 2-0 at 8:44 into the contest. Less than a minute later at 9:43 the Avalanche committed their 2nd penalty in that time-span giving Dallas a 5-3. Up until this point, Colorado had dominated. Ten-seconds later Dallas scored their first of 4 goals in the 2nd period. That would end up being more than they needed, even though they added an empty-net goal late in the 3rd.
Despite all of this, the Avalanche open as favorites for the 3rd straight game, that’s based solely off the overwhelming difference in talent between the 2 clubs, tilted drastically towards the Avalanche. Line courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:
I also took the over from DraftKings:
I think it’s pretty obvious why you should take the over. The Avs are undefeated against the Over this postseason. They are now 6-4 against the Moneyline. I’ll continue to believe those and the bookies numbers, not the outlier of a horrid offense suddenly turning into a world-beater. The Avalanche simply have to do what they did in round 1. Play great, team defense, and pound the goalie with high percentage shots on minimal passing.
That minimal passing will lead me to my next pick, a game prop I don’t see not hitting from FOXBet Sportsbook:
There has been as least 2 power-play goals in every Avalanche game so far this postseason, I see that continuing and FOXBet yet again has you covered with a great line:
So there you have it, after so much suffering in the Mile High City, the Avalanche will be giving even more to cheer about as the only team active and not having won since that Monday baseball game in Arizona. That changes on Wednesday at 8:30 PM MST on NBCSN.
