Stars vs. Avalanche: Inside the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Rematch and Rantanen Reunion

Rivalry Reignites: Stars and Avalanche Collide Again

This isn’t just a regular playoff series—it’s the grudge match every hockey fan saw coming. Stanley Cup Playoffs fever is hitting a new high as the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche lock horns in the first round after last year’s six-game slugfest. But the real buzz? Mikko Rantanen—the former Colorado superstar—is skating in enemy green, flipping this rivalry up a few notches and setting the stage for some awkward post-whistle handshakes.

Rantanen’s journey wasn’t a straight shot from Denver to Dallas. After a brief stop in Carolina because of salary cap drama, he’s now landing back in the playoff spotlight, set to face old teammates who know exactly where he hides his best moves. Colorado's fan base isn’t just licking playoff wounds from last spring—they’re still fuming about losing their top winger and now have to watch him suit up for the Stars in the thick of postseason tension.

But the Rantanen storyline isn’t the only twist. The Stars enter this heavyweight bout nursing a painful blow: Jason Robertson, their high-scoring forward, is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. His absence is the kind of thing that shifts a series, especially when you’re matching firepower against Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche. Meanwhile, there's a flicker of hope in Denver that their own Valeri Nichushkin will be cleared for a return, bringing fresh energy and leadership to a squad that’s already packed with dangerous scorers.

Lineup Depth and New Faces Could Swing the Series

Offense isn’t going to be in short supply. The Stars’ depth down the middle is downright intimidating with Roope Hintz, Matt Duchene, and Wyatt Johnston anchoring their top three lines. And with Rantanen now in the mix, Dallas is banking on a next-man-up mentality to mask Robertson’s absence. Mikael Granlund, a savvy veteran pick-up, will be counted on to plug any gaps and give head coach Pete DeBoer more flexibility on his lines.

Colorado’s response? More waves of talent. Nathan MacKinnon is still the head of the snake, but Brock Nelson—brought in for this very scenario—has given the Avs another offensive driver. Charlie Coyle also lines up for pivotal minutes, expected to match Johnston’s youthful energy with veteran calm. And let’s not overlook Colorado’s own trade deadline surge, which saw them add punch up front and bolster a defensive corps that struggled against Dallas’s cycle attack just a year ago.

Bettors are paying close attention—Colorado Avalanche open as slight favorites at -134, while oddsmakers have the over/under set at 5.5 goals (at FanDuel), signaling an expectation of tight, tactical games with enough explosions to keep things interesting. The SportsLine model, which delivered returns for plenty of bettors over the regular season with its high-volume game simulations, is again on hand—running the matchup through 10,000 permutations to find those statistical cracks and hidden edges.

The puck drops on April 20 in Dallas, where the home crowd will try to drown out old ghosts and fresh controversies. But in a series packed with big personalities, bruised pride, and playoff history, every inch of ice matters. Whether you care about advanced stats, old-fashioned storylines, or just enough chaos to keep Twitter buzzing, there’s something for everyone in the 2025 Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche showdown.