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It took a little while, but the Colorado Avalanche overpowered the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series.
The Stars were valiant in their effort to stick with the Avs, but a couple of bad bounces ended up in the back of their net and put Dallas into chase mode.
That's the last place you want to be against Colorado, and the Avalanche made the Stars pay to the tune of a 5-1 win.
Dallas will look to even up the series on Monday night, but the oddsmakers have installed the Avs as the -146 favorite for Game 2.
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Avalanche vs. Stars betting preview
Colorado's speed and skill were on full display in Game 1, and the Avs were able to expose the Stars' blueline all night.
Josh Manson, Brock Nelson, and Devon Toews celebrate a goal in Game 1 against the Stars.
Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
If Dallas had Miro Heiskanen available, they'd have a much better chance of skating with the Avs, but his absence puts a ton of pressure on Cody Ceci, Esa Lindell, and Ilya Lyubushkin to fill big minutes.
Those three can be effective in the right role, but they're not the fleetest of foot and will continue to struggle slowing down Colorado's big guns.
The good news for the Stars is that, despite their issues skating with the Avs, they did generate plenty of good looks in Game 1. If it wasn't for Mackenzie Blackwood's heroics for Colorado, Saturday night's contest would have looked quite different.
Avalanche vs. Stars pick
The Stars played a terrific game on Saturday night but came up with nothing to show for it.
The silver lining for Dallas is that it showed it can skate with the Avs, but the half-empty approach would suggest that the Stars had their A-game and still lost 5-1.
It's hard to see the Stars having an answer for the Avs if they raise their level in Game 2.
The Play: Avs -1.5 (+168, Fanatics Sportsbook)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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