Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. In this series, our team here at Last Word on Hockey breaks down head-to-head matchups and other key elements that may influence the outcome of each game each day. This edition of NHL Predictions dives into the Saturday, January 18, 2025 matchup between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche.
NHL Predictions
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Head-to-Head: Stars 1-0 Avalanche
Time: 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Central division rivals collide as the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche meet for the second time this season.
Colorado made the trip to Dallas on November 29, falling 5-3 as Dallas rebounded from a rough loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Forwards Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin helped Dallas take a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn added on to give the Stars a 4-1 advantage.
Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen scored third-period goals to pull Colorado within one. Marchment ended the game with an empty-netter after some terrific stops from goaltender Jake Oettinger to hold the lead.
These teams usually play close and are separated by just two points in the standings. They will have one more meeting after this weekend. Will Colorado pull even at home or will Dallas put itself in a position for a season-sweep of the Avalanche? Here’s what our NHL Predictions have to say.
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Dallas Stars Story
Marchment and Seguin remain out of the lineup due to injuries, so Dallas will need to find other sources for scoring this time. Lately, that’s been coming from nearly everyone the Stars expected to contribute entering the season, but most started the season slowly.
Forwards Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston have combined for 16 points in January, with Dallas’ current crop of top-six forwards starting to gel and find a rhythm. Both have a history of success against the Avalanche. Johnston has five points in his last three games against Colorado, while Robertson has 13 points in 12 career matchups.
The Stars dropped a 3-1 game to the Montreal Canadiens in Dallas on Thursday night, wasting a chance to jump the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division. Robertson opened the scoring to give the Stars a 1-0 lead, but two third-period goals from Montreal ended the game. Dallas remains one point behind Minnesota entering play on Saturday.
Colorado Avalanche Story
Colorado is a different team than the last time it faced Dallas, largely due to its goaltending situation. In the first meeting between these teams, a struggling Alexandar Georgiev allowed four goals on 23 shots. Georgiev has since been traded to the San Jose Sharks, and Mackenzie Blackwood has stabilized things in net for the Avalanche. He is 9-3-1 in 13 appearances and has a 1.87 goals-against average.
The Avalanche can also pack an offensive punch, averaging eighth-most goals per game in the NHL at 3.30. Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon are the leaders of the group, with Lehkonen, defenceman Cale Makar, and forward Casey Mittlestadt adding a second wave of goal-scorers.
Colorado is 4-3-1 in 2025, dropping a 4-3 game to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. MacKinnon scored twice in that one. Rantanen scored in four of the first five games the Avalanche played to start the new year but has been held scoreless in his last three. Regardless, Colorado’s top line remains dangerous and will be an ultimate test for Dallas.
NHL Prediction
Dallas has suddenly been playing well on the road with a 12-9-0 record this season, despite the early season struggles away from the American Airlines Center. The Stars have also had plenty of success playing the Avalanche on the road. These two teams almost always play down to the wire. Expect nothing different and a narrow Dallas road win.
NHL Predictions: Stars win 3-2.
Prop Bets of the Night
Most prop bets available for this game involve any-time goal scoring. Dallas’ leading scorer Matt Duchene comes in at +250, and teammate Logan Stankoven is +375 after recently scoring twice in one game. Lehkonen at +240 jumps out on the Colorado side.
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Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The post NHL Predictions: Jan. 18 Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.