An early deep dive into Colorado vs. Dallas now, and in the future

Let's ask a long term question: who's the better team?

I mentioned earlier this week that the other paid post would be a look at a 40-second shift involving Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven. I lied. Sort of. I’m gonna still do the the shift analysis. But I’ll save it for later. I felt like this matchup deserved its own special spotlight. Hopefully you’re cool with that.

Dallas vs. Colorado is either Round 1 of the Western Conference playoffs, or Round 2, assuming the Stars get past the first round. Because of that, it might behoove us to learn more about the matchup. After all, what’s relevant now will be relevant in the future, regardless of whether or not they face each other in the playoffs.

Currently, the two teams are neck and neck. Colorado has 51 points while Dallas has 48. The Avalanche have a slightly higher goal differential at +24. Dallas is an elite road team while Colorado is the complete opposite (8-7-3 on the road is brutal). Conversely, Colorado is an elite home team (16-4) while Dallas is just an average one.

But what’s the truth? The Central is tight right now, with Winnipeg also in the mix. It’s possible that the Jets are quietly the top team in the Central, but Colorado and Dallas get the benefit of the doubt given their pedigree. Who are these two teams, deep down, and what clues will tonight leave us with? That’s the more interesting question. So let’s consider this matchup and break down the offense, defense, and playdriving from top to bottom.