The wait continues for Miro Heiskanen. As the Dallas Stars prepare to face the Colorado Avalanche in a pivotal Game 5 of a tied opening round playoff series on Monday, head coach Pete Deboer said Dallas’ top defenseman is not ready to get back in the lineup.

After splitting the first four games in this series, it’s down to a Best-of-3 between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, who clash in pivotal Game 5 tonight. Our Avalanche vs Stars predictions have the visitors keeping the momentum on the road in a game that will push one team to the brink of elimination.

Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out.