The Colorado Avalanche are tied in wins with the Tampa Bay Lightning with 37, but are three wins ahead of the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division with three games in hand. However, it is what happened to the Dallas Stars recently that makes things a lot easier for Colorado.
According to reports, Stars winger Mikko Rantanen will be out for a while due to an injury suffered during the Winter Olympics. Rantanen is expected to be out for a minimum of four weeks. With the Avalanche scheduled to face the Stars in just 11 days, that means Rantanen will miss that game when Colorado returns to Dallas.