The Stars aren't short on defense. Earlier this month they shut out San Jose 5-0 and Buffalo 4-0 in consecutive games. Scoring is the issue: they have put up 2 or fewer goals in each of their last 3 losses, and the center depth is thin. Matt Duchene is out about 3 months after core surgery, Joel Kiviranta is out with a lower-body injury, and without Johnston, Dallas had to dress 7 defensemen Tuesday, with Kyle Capobianco drawing in.
Colorado's start has been loud in both directions. The Avalanche beat St. Louis 6-1 at home and won 7-3 in Calgary, then gave up 6 at home to Toronto in a 3-6 loss and dropped a 3-2 game in Winnipeg. They're 4-2-0, and going into Dallas without their best player and winning tells you more than any of those scores. The forward group isn't whole either: Logan O'Connor is on injured reserve and Zachary L'Heureux is listed out.
The schedule hurts both teams about the same. Each played Tuesday night and each traveled, although Colorado's flight ends at home and Dallas's ends at altitude. If Makar dresses, the Avalanche have their whole top pair back against a Stars team that has struggled to score. If Johnston comes back too, Dallas has its center depth again and this looks a lot like Tuesday's game, which was tied at 1 until Necas took over.