Early season clash with a familiar face has Avalanche fans reeling for redemption
Photo credit: Richard Rodriguez / Mile High Sticking
The Colorado Avalanche will face off against a familiar former player early next season, as Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars visit in just the third game of their upcoming campaign.
The Colorado Avalanche will begin their 2025-26 season on October 7 with a road showdown against the Los Angeles Kings.
Avalanche get an early shot at redemption next season.
Graham Tiedtke from Mile High Sticking writes that after hosting the Utah Mammoth on October 9 for their home opener, the Avalanche will gear up to face Rantanen and the Stars on October 11 in the first of their four regular-season matchups.
While the teams will meet during the preseason, their top players aren't expected to dress. Rantanen, originally dealt by Colorado to the Carolina Hurricanes, was later flipped to the Stars, bringing him back to the Central Division.
"The big storyline here is that the Avalanche will get to try and get revenge on Rantanen, who had five goals and seven assists against his former team in the 2025 postseason. While it's been two months since the Avalanche lost in Game 6 against Dallas, it still stings a little bit. Their focus will quickly shift to the Stars and Rantanen once they take care of business in their first two games." -Tiedtke
Colorado went 2-1 against Dallas during the 2024-25 regular season, but this year's matchups could have a very different tone. With a new head coach and a retooled roster, the Stars will bring a fresh look, and likely a more dangerous one.
As for the Avalanche, while they need to turn the page on last season's playoff heartbreak, the returning core hasn't forgotten how the series ended. Expect emotion, intensity, and a renewed hunger when these teams meet again.
"The Avalanche have to figure out a way to contain Rantanen in the 2025-26 season. Though it matters how Rantanen got the goals in that postseason series, the fact that the Avalanche were in those situations stings. They can't allow the same things to happen again." -Tiedtke
It wouldn't be all that surprising to see Colorado and Dallas cross paths in the postseason once again. That's when shutting down Rantanen and the rest of the Stars' firepower will truly matter.
Odds are, the Avalanche will either draw Winnipeg or find themselves in a tightly contested series with Dallas right out of the gate. Of course, that all hinges on all three clubs clinching a playoff spot, and at this point, it would be a shock if any of them didn't.
Source:
Mile High Sticking
Colorado Avalanche seek revenge against Mikko Rantanen early in the 2025-26 season
Mile High Sticking
Colorado Avalanche seek revenge against Mikko Rantanen early in the 2025-26 season
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 18 | 36 ANSWERS Early season clash with a familiar face has Avalanche fans reeling for redemption Who would win a Stanley Cup Playoff rematch between Dallas and Colorado? | ||
| Colorado Avalanche | 30 | 83.3 % |
| Dallas Stars | 6 | 16.7 % |
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