One of the biggest matchups of the NHL season could go a long way in deciding the Presidents' Trophy winner, as the Dallas Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars] hit the road Wednesday to face their division rival, the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado currently holds a three-point lead for the league’s top record, so this game and the weeks ahead will play a key role in determining which team finishes as the NHL’s best during the regular season. Dallas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars]had its impressive hot streak snapped Monday in a 6 to 3 loss to the Utah Mammoth. Despite that setback, the Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars]are still 14-1-1 over their last 16 games. Their only other loss in that span was a close 5 to 4 shootout defeat, which also came against Colorado. The Avalanche looked dominant early in the season but have cooled off recently, losing three of their last four games. Still, they have a strong opportunity to respond at home, where they are 23-6-4 and have failed to earn points in just six of 33 games. This should be a compelling matchup, especially since Dallas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars]has also been excellent on the road with a 20-7-6 record. Wyatt Johnston has been leading the way for the Stars [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars]with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points over his last 10 games. On the other side, Nathan MacKinnon continues to power Colorado’s offense with an impressive 22 points in his last 13 games, showing once again why he is considered one of the top players in the world. Make Sure You Bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/dallas-stars/]For The Latest News, Exclusive Interviews, Breakdowns, And So Much More. DALLAS STARS’ EXPECTED LINE COMBINATIONS VS. COLORADO (WEDNESDAY) Robertson - Johnston - Bourque Steel - Duchene - Benn Bunting - Hryckowian - Blackwell Back - Hyry - Erne Lindell - Heiskanen Harley - Lundkvist Bichsel - Myers Oettinger Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7580a307-e387-4cc9-86ee-6eeb7a5cf1a7.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
