Cale Makar is not with the Avalanche tonight because his wife has gone into labor, a team spokesman said, according to Corey Masisak.
Colorado is expected to dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen against Dallas instead of the usual setup.
Congratulations are in order. Missing a game in October for this is the easiest call in hockey.
It's like a band playing a show without its lead guitarist. The songs still get played, but nobody's taking the big solo.
Makar has 7 points this season, including 3 goals.
He carries a $9,000,000 cap hit and sits at +2.
Devon Toews, with 5 points and a +6 rating, figures to soak up a big chunk of the extra minutes.
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Jared Bednar rolls seven defensemen into a home-and-home with Dallas
Brett Kulak, Josh Manson, Sam Malinski, Noah Juulsen and 41-year-old Brent Burns round out the options on the back end.
Up front, Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado with 10 points, 5 of them goals.
Martin Necas and Brock Nelson have 5 points apiece, so the offense isn't short on options.
Colorado has scored 26 goals already, a pace that can cover for a missing defenseman.
The Avalanche are 3-2-0 after Saturday's 6-3 home loss to Toronto.
Dallas has allowed just 8 goals in five games, the kind of structure that makes an 11-forward night even tougher.
Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars with 6 points. They come in off a shootout loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Radek Faksa is day-to-day for Dallas, and Joel Kiviranta was listed out until at least today.
Mackenzie Blackwood sits at .867 and Scott Wedgewood at .897, so Colorado's crease could use a quieter night in front of it.
Is Makar back for tomorrow's rematch at home?
Bednar will likely lean hard on his top pairs tonight, with the second half of the home-and-home coming just 24 hours later.
Glen Gulutzan's group, meanwhile, gets a chance to catch Colorado without its highest-scoring defenseman.
Hockey can wait for a night. Somewhere in Colorado, a much bigger shift is happening.
Should Cale Makar take the rematch against Dallas off too?
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