The Dallas Stars have an advantage besides home-ice advantage when they host the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Saturday night.
They have coach Peter DeBoer.
DeBoer has an 8-0 record in Game 7s. If the Stars win Saturday, he would set a record for most Game 7 victories by either a coach or a player. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, meanwhile, has never won a Game 7, going 0-3.
DeBoer is also 3-0 in playoff series against the Avalanche. Colorado has never won a Game 7 on the road since moving from Quebec in 1995.
USA TODAY Sports is providing live coverage as the Avalanche and Stars play in Game 7 to decide who will advance to the second round:
Jamie Benn heading to the penalty box. While teammate Wyatt Johnston puts on a skating display, Benn high-sticks Valeri Nichushkin, who’s down on the ice and needs repair work. Benn gets four minutes.
Nathan MacKinnon and Marin Necas get chances, but Dallas kills it off.
Parker Kelly is called for holding. Stars get one shot. Avalanche kill it off.
Gabriel Landeskog line vs. Roope Hintz line.
Game 7 of the Avalanche-Star series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET in Dallas.
Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood is in his first playoffs so this is his first Game 7. Dallas’ Jake Oettinger is 2-1 with a 1.54 goals-against average and .956 save percentage.
Stars forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen haven’t played all series and have been ruled out in Game 7. Heiskanen has been out since before the 4 Nations Face-Off and had knee surgery. Robertson was hurt in the regular-season finale and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The Game 7 winner will face either the Winnipeg Jets or St. Louis Blues in the second round. Those teams are playing Game 7 in Winnipeg on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, TBS). The Blues won Game 6 and Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was pulled for the third time in three games in St. Louis.
Jason Anderson – Avalanche 5, Stars 2: Colorado has created more of the chances throughout the series, and that has to add up to something. Expect a close one that sees Cale Makar dominate, with the Avs finally sealing the series with a late empty-netter.
Mike Brehm – Avalanche 5, Stars 3: DeBoer can’t stay perfect forever, right? I had the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup and I have faith they can pull this one off against a Stars team still missing Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. Just make sure you don’t give up a goal in the first nine seconds this time.
Jace Evans – Avalanche 4, Stars 3: I picked Avalanche in seven before the series and I’m sticking with it. The Avs have, on balance, been the better team this series, holding a 22-17 advantage in goals and a 214-167(!) edge in shots.
The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Frederik Andersen to a one-year, $2.75 million contract extension on Saturday. He can earn performance bonuses for playing 35-plus games ($250,000) and 40-plus games ($250,000). If the Hurricanes reach the conference finals next season with him playing at least half of the team’s playoff games, he’d earn another $250,000.
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