Avalanche, Stars Share Complete Control of Key Stat Leaderboards

Colorado’s Sureal Statistical Takeover

I won’t dig too deep into every metric they lead (that could be its own article, and recently was), but the highlights alone are absurd: the league’s best goal differential at +51, with second-place Dallas almost 30 behind at +22, the highest team save percentage at .921, the third-best penalty kill at 86.8%, and the most shots per game in the NHL at 33.9.

And if you want a snapshot of just how overwhelming Colorado has been? Look at the plus/minus leaderboard. The top five players in the entire league are all Avalanche:

1. 1. Nathan MacKinnon: +30
2. Cale Makar: +29
3. Artturi Lehkonen: +25
4. Martin Nečas: +24
5. Devon Toews: +20

The next-closest player is Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun at +17. One area the Avs haven’t dominated is the power play. Colorado sits in the bottom quartile of the league at 16.3%, a surprising weak spot for a team this loaded.

The Stars Have a Deep Roster With a Scary Power Play

Conveniently — or inconveniently, depending on which team you like more — the NHL’s best power play belongs to the team chasing the Avalanche in both the Central Division and league standings: the Dallas Stars.

Dallas is a major reason behind the Central being the NHL's hardest division. The Stars might have the deepest roster in hockey, starting from the crease outward. Jake Oettinger is one of the NHL’s best goaltenders, and he's supported by a defense led by breakout star Thomas Harley and a reenergized Miro Heiskanen, who’s adding real offensive impact to his game.

But it’s the forward group that makes Dallas terrifying. It genuinely feels like they have two first lines, a third line that morphs into whatever the game needs, and no traditional fourth line at all. Tyler Seguin talked about that versatility recently — how wave after wave of pressure lets them win in any fashion.

When Dallas goes to the man advantage, the game practically tilts. Their power play sits at 32.6%, the best in the NHL, and scoring multiple power-play goals in a night has become a regular occurrence. It’s so dominant that the Stars currently have the top three players in the league in power-play points:

T-1. Mikko Rantanen: 18
T-1. Wyatt Johnston: 18
T-3. Jason Robertson — 15 (tied with Celebrini)

As Colorado and Dallas carve through the league, one thing has become clear: these are two heavyweight contenders controlling two of the NHL’s most important statistical leaderboards. One does it with relentless five-on-five dominance; the other with a power play that feels unfair.

And if they stay on this collision course, the Central Division may not just decide the division title — it might decide the Stanley Cup.