Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Series Recap (Round One)

The Round One series between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche came to an end after the Stars won the series 4-3 in seven games. After beating the Avs in Game 7 of the series, the Stars have advanced the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The series started out with a strong start for the Avs as they won the opener with a 5-1 win on April 19, 2025. After a tough loss on home ice, the Stars came back with vengeance in Game 2 and Game 3 of the series which both ended with overtime wins and gave the Stars a 2-1 lead in the series. The Avs answered back with a series-tying 4-0 shutout in Game 4. Determined to answer back, Stars were able to regain their lead after they mustered a 4-2 win in Game 5. Although the Stars were one-game away from winning the series, the Avs forced Game 7 with an impressive 7-4 win in Game 6. After a hard fought battle, the Stars secured their spot in the second round after their electric 4-2 win in Game 7 which occurred on May 3, 2025. 

The Stars’ points leader in this series was #96 Mikko Rantanen who ended the first round with 12 points (5G, 7A). #96 Rantanen also recorded his first hat-trick of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after he scored three impressive goals in Game 7 of the series. In regards to goaltending, #29 Jake Oettinger was the Stars' starter throughout the first round of the series and ended the round with a 4-3-0 record, a 2.85 GAA, and a 0.911 SV%. #1 Casey DeSmith did get some time in between the pipes during the third period of Game 4 which ended with him recording a 3.03 GAA and a 0.929 SV%. 

The Avs’ points leader was #29 Nathan MacKinnon who ended the first round with 11 points (7G, 4A). In regards to goaltending, #39 Mackenzie Blackwood was the Avs' starter for this series and ended the first round with a 3-4-0 record, a 2.71 GAA, and a 0.892 SV%. #41 Scott Wedgewood did have some ice time when he took over in the third period of Game 5 which ended with him recording a 1.000 SV% after he saved all 8 shots on goal. 

In regards to stats, the Stars and Avs were relatively similar with the amount of goals scored (21G Stars, 24G Avs) and their average faceoff win percentage (49.29% Stars, 50.71% Avs) in the seven games that were played. The Stars did find more success on their average power play success rate (38 PP% vs. 23 PP%) despite the Avs outshooting (240 shots vs. 186 shots) and playing a more physical game (283 hits vs. 208 hits).

Although Avs displayed a commendable effort throughout this series, the Stars’ ability to capitalize on their scoring opportunities and the stellar goaltending from #29 Jake Oettinger ultimately helped them to win this series 4-3. 

Come back to read about how the Dallas Stars do in the Second Round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs!