Playoff hockey has become something of spring tradition in Colorado. In the 29 years the franchise has existed, the Avalanche have missed the playoffs only eight times. And this year marks an eighth consecutive playoff appearance by a squad anchored by two of the NHL’s top talents: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

But as the Avs continue their first-round series against the Dallas Stars, they do so as (slight) underdogs. The team finished the regular season with a 49-29 record, good enough for the third seed in the Central Division behind the Winnipeg Jets and the Stars, who earned home-ice advantage over Colorado. That didn’t matter in game one, which the Avalanche won 5-1. In game two, though, the Stars fought back for a 4-3 overtime victory.

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Now, knotted at a game apiece, the series returns to Denver where the Avs will look to overcome the opponent that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago. If you’re just tuning in, here’s what you should know about the Colorado squad and their odds of lifting the Stanley Cup.

Read More: The Inside Story of the Colorado Avalanche’s Turnaround

1. The Captain’s back.

If Gabe Landeskog takes the ice in game three, the Avalanche faithful might blow the roof right off Ball Arena. Due to a complicated knee injury, the beloved Avs’ captain has not skated a shift in the NHL since the final game of the 2022 Stanley Cup. Some doubted if he would ever play again. But he’s been quietly rehabbing, and before game two, the Avalanche head honchos activated Landeskog for the first time in nearly three years. He warmed up in Dallas but didn’t enter the game.

Though Landeskog was never as dominant as Hart Trophy winner MacKinnon or James Norris Trophy winner Makar, he was the soul of the roster. And if he’s able to take the ice against the Stars, it’ll be an emotional boost, if nothing else. But Landeskog isn’t the only familiar face suiting up for the Avs. Erik Johnson, the longtime defenseman who helped the Avs win a Stanley Cup, was traded back to Colorado in early March and logged 15 minutes of ice time in game two.

2. Mikko Rantanen is wearing the wrong sweater.

Mikko Rantanen wears a white Dallas Stars jersey on the Colorado ice
Mikko Rantanen during the national anthem before a game at Ball Arena in March. Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Few would have predicted that Mikko Rantanen, who was drafted by Colorado in 2015 and had spent his entire career with the franchise, would be taking the ice against the Avalanche in the playoffs this year. After all, the prolific goal scorer opened the 2024–’25 season seeking a long-term deal with the Avalanche. But when negotiations broke down in January, Rantanen was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. After only 13 games, he was flipped again—to Dallas, where he signed an eight-year, $96 million extension.

Now, the Avs square up against the forward who scored 287 goals (good for sixth all-time) wearing an Avalanche jersey. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Rantanen has been quiet thus far in the series—and that Jack Drury, a forward Colorado acquired in the Rantanen trade, has tallied a goal and an assist in the same time.

3. MacKinnon and Makar haven’t lost a step.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon celebrates his power play goal with teammates
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon celebrates his power play goal with teammates during the first period in game two. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

You can’t discuss the Avalanche these days without mentioning their two Canadian superstars: center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. MacKinnon, who won the NHL’s Hart Memorial Trophy (or most valuable player award) a year ago, picked up where he left off, tallying the league’s second-best 116 points (32 goals, 84 assists). And he started the playoffs on a heater, burying two goals and connecting on two assists in the opening games.

Meanwhile, Makar is poised to win his second James Norris Memorial Trophy this season, given annually to the league’s top defenseman. He led all defensemen in goals (30), assists (62), and total points (92) during the regular season, becoming the first defensemen to tally back-to-back 90-point seasons in more than 30 years. He already has two assists to his name in these playoffs.

4. Beating Dallas won’t be easy.

For the Avs to skate into the second round, they’ll have to overcome tremendous depth from the Stars. In the regular season, six Dallas players recorded more than 60 points, and four—including Rantanen—tallied more than 30 goals (only three Avalanche players exceeded 60 points this year). Matt Duchene, who was drafted by Colorado and knocked the team out of the playoffs a year ago with a double-overtime goal, led the Stars offense for much of the season.

If Colorado escapes the first round, the Avalanche will face the winner of the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, after which a clash with the Las Vegas Golden Knights could be in order.

5. Goaltending could be the difference.

Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger is one of the league’s best. He earned 36 wins in net this year (third in the NHL), was selected as an All Star, and has played in nearly 50 playoff games in his career (his record: 24-23). The Avalanche’s onslaught in game one notwithstanding, Oettinger has been steady all season.

In net for the Avs is Mackenzie Blackwood, who had never started a playoff game prior to this week. Blackwood, who was acquired by Colorado in a December trade with San Jose, posted a .912 save percentage in the regular season, just edging Oettinger’s mark of .909.

A hot goalie can make all the difference in the playoffs, and if Blackwood overcomes his lack of playoff experience, the Avalanche could make a deep run.

Jay Bouchard
Jay Bouchard
Jay Bouchard is a Denver-based writer and a former editor on 5280's digital team.