It will have been a week since the Avalanche played their last game when they face off against their next opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — the Dallas Stars. 

The Stars took the Central Division and ended the regular season No. 1 in the Western Conference. Dallas has home-ice advantage and the series will start at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday. The schedule is below. 

Tuesday, May 7: Colorado at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. MT
Thursday, May 9: Colorado at Dallas, 7:30 p.m. MT
Saturday, May 11: Dallas at Colorado, TBD
Monday, May 13: Dallas at Colorado, TBD
Wednesday, May 15 (if necessary): Colorado at Dallas, TBD 
Friday, May 17 (if necessary): Dallas at Colorado, TBD
Sunday, May 19 (if necessary): Colorado at Dallas, TBD

The division rivals faced each other four times in the regular season — the Avalanche won the series 3-1. 

Nov. 13 at Dallas: 6-3 win
Jan. 4 at Dallas: 5-4 overtime win
Feb. 27 at Colorado: 5-1 win
April 7 at Colorado: 7-4 loss 

The Avalanche closed their opening series against the Winnipeg Jets in five games and had a week to rest. The Stars went seven games against the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and will only have a day to rest before getting back at it. While a balance of downtime and elevated energy can define a team's play in the postseason, the Avalanche's mental toughness is key to getting to their game right out of the gate. 

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