DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have done something they couldn't do during the regular season: They beat the Winnipeg Jets.
Not just one game, either. After dropping the first game in the series, the Avalanche won four straight games against the Jets to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Colorado's offense has been hot since the playoffs began. In each of their five games, Colorado has scored at least five goals. The Avalanche are averaging 5.6 goals per game and allowing only three during the playoffs. Compare that to Colorado's last eight games of the regular season, where they were averaging three goals per game and allowing four.
Who will the Avalanche play next?
Now the Avalanche look to the second round. They will either travel to Dallas to face the Central Division champion Stars, or host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas currently leads their series with Vegas 3-2.
Colorado's track record against Dallas has been favorable this season. The Avalanche are 3-1 against the Stars, outscoring them 20-15 in four games. Historically, Colorado is 18-14 against the Stars in the playoffs.
The last time Dallas and Colorado met in the playoffs was in 2020 during the bubble playoff in Canada. Dallas won the series in seven games and went on to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
Things are a bit more even when it comes to playing the Golden Knights. Colorado is 1-1-1 against the Golden Knights this year. Vegas has outscored Colorado 11-6 in the three games. As we saw in the first round of the playoffs, regular season records are not predictive of a postseason outcome.
The last time Colorado saw Vegas in the playoffs was in 2021. The Avalanche started the series strong, winning the first two games of the series. The Golden Knights then won four straight to advance to the semi-final round against the Montreal Canadiens (divisions and conferences were still mixed up during the COVID-19 pandemic).
Game 6 between Dallas and Vegas is scheduled for Friday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Game 7, if necessary, will be played on Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
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