RSS Avalanche Team Notes

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche @ Utah Mammoth (7:00 P.M.)

DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 23: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche faces off against Barrett Hayton #27 of the Utah Mammoth at Ball Arena on December 23, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Olympic break is finally over!

After a three week pause for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the Colorado Avalanche kick off the next phase of their historic 2025 – 2026 campaign for one last(?) visit to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Mammoth.

Colorado Avalanche (37-9-9)​

The Opponent: Utah Mammoth (30-23-4)

Time: 7:00 P.M. MST/9:00 P.M. EST

Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), KUPX-TV (Utah Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche won’t have the luxury of easing their way into the swing of things as the NHL schedule resumes. They play five games in seven days right out of the chute, with four of those games coming in two back-to-back contests. Tonight’s game against Utah marks the first in those pairs of back-to-back games; the Avs will face the Minnesota Wild for the first time on Ball Arena ice on Thursday evening.

The Avs were one of three teams that sent at least eight (8) players to Italy to participate in the Olympic games. Martin Nečas was selected to play for Czechia. Having previously played in the Olympics (Sochi, 2014), Gabe Landeskog made his return to the Olympic stage, now representing Sweden as its team captain. Joel Kiviranta and Artturi Lehkonen were selected to the Finland roster, capturing the bronze medal. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews played for Canada, earning the silver medal. Brock Nelson, a third-generation Olympian, captured gold for the United States, adding the fourth Olympic gold medal to his family mantle, joining his grandfather Bill Christian and great uncle Roger Christian (Squaw Valley, 1960) and his uncle Dave Christian (Lake Placid, 1980).

While it will be a welcome sight to see a (relatively) healthy Avalanche lineup for the first time in nearly two months, there will be one notable absence on the roster. On Tuesday morning, the Avalanche announced that they had traded defenseman Sam Girard, along with their second round pick in 2028, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Brett Kulak. Kulak, 32, was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that sent him and goaltender Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh. During his brief tenure with the Penguins, Kulak scored one goal and added six assists for a total of seven points in twenty-five games. He had two assists in thirty-one games played with Edmonton earlier this season. This is a considerable drop off from his previous season with Edmonton, where he set a career best in goals (7), assists (18), and points (25).

Coach Jared Bednar said this of Kulak: “You’re getting a big, solid D that can skate, and defend real well, and move the puck. He does a lot of good things, a guy that has been to back to back Stanley Cup Finals, and was an integral part of [Edmonton’s] blue line, and what they were trying to do as a team. We like the player a lot, and so, we’re excited.”

He added, “This is a big, strong guy that defends really well. He’s got a ton of experience as well. It’s just a different look for us, right? I think Kulak’s a guy, that depending on how you’re matching up in the playoffs, that he can go up and play with a guy like Cale if I want to move [Toews] against another team’s top line. […] Maybe Kulak can go up and Toews can go down and he can take care of that matchup with a guy like Manson. It gives us flexibility there that I don’t think we necessarily had with [Girard].”

Bednar noted that Kulak, along with most of the Avs roster, would arrive in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night, with some members of the team flying out this morning in order to get some extra rest.

With the NHL season paused through the Olympic break, MacKinnon will look to reclaim the NHL points lead; he trails Olympic teammate Connor McDavid (96) by three points. MacKinnon entered the Olympic break as the NHL’s goal scoring leader (40), the only player in the League to reach this milestone thus far. Nelson is one goal shy of reaching the thirty goal mark for the fourth time in his career. With Mackenzie Blackwood going 1-1 in both games before the break, expect Scott Wedgewood to start in goal this evening. Wedgewood last started on January 29, a 7-3 loss against the Montréal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. A win today would give them a seven point cushion over second place Minnesota, and although they still have two games in hand over their division rivals, every point will matter even more as teams jockey for position ahead of the postseason. The Dallas Stars, who have a game in hand on Minnesota and sit one point behind them in the division, host the Seattle Kraken tonight, so one can bet that Minnesota will be keeping a close eye on both games.

The Avs currently lead the season series against Utah, winning two of the three games played. They have yet to win at Delta Center to this point in the season, but won the most recent matchup on December 23, a 1-0 decision.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley

Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Wedgewood

Utah Mammoth​

Utah started out 2026 with a bang, going 12-5 since the start of January. They sit in fourth place in the Central Division standings, edging out the Anaheim Ducks by one point for the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. They won two of their previous three contests prior to the start of the Olympic break, a 6-2 defeat of the Vancouver Canucks, and a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Tonight’s game is the third of a five game home stand at Delta Center, where Utah has performed considerably well: they boast a 17-8-2 record on home ice.

Occupying a wild card spot may seem a bit surprising during this sophomore campaign for Utah, but those who followed the former Arizona Coyotes are familiar with this trend. While there have been some changes to the present-day roster, the current version’s performance has echoes of its previous incarnation, being competitive just enough to find themselves on the periphery of the postseason, only to fall short time and again. Utah GM Bill Armstrong, with the backing of his new ownership group in Ryan and Ashley Smith, has infused his team’s roster with some new life, acquiring defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to their inaugural season, and right wing J.J. Peterka from the Buffalo Sabres. Sergachev set a personal best in goals (15) in his first season with Utah and currently leads all defensemen in points (38). Peterka, who signed a five year, $38.5 million dollar extension as part of the trade with Buffalo, is tied with Sergachev in points, and ranks third in goal scoring (20). Armstrong may have a few more moves up his sleeve as the trade deadline approaches, so this could be the year that his squad bucks the trends of the past, which would be an incredible testament to the club’s performance since taking the ice in downtown Salt Lake for the first time last October.

Like Colorado, Utah sent multiple players to Italy to participate in the Olympics. Peterka was selected to the German Olympic roster, defenseman Olli Määttä joined Kiviranta on Finland’s roster, goaltender Karel Vejmelka joined Nečas to represent Czechia’s goaltending contingent, and captain Clayton Keller won gold with the United States alongside Nelson.

Keller leads all skaters in assists (37) and points (54). Dylan Guenther leads all skaters in goals (25), just two shy of his personal best (27). Nick Schmaltz is second in goals (23), equaling his personal best he set during the 2021-2022 season with Arizona. Vejmelka is tied for first place with Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy in goaltender wins (27), a personal best since entering the League with Arizona during the 2021-2022 season.

Tonight’s game wraps up the four game series against Colorado. Utah’s previous victory came on October 21, with Guenther scoring the game winning goal for the 4-3 decision.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – Lawson Crouse
J.J. Peterka – Barrett Hayton – Kailer Yamamoto
Michael Carcone – Jack McBain – Dylan Guenther
Brandon Tanev – Kevin Stenlund – Liam O’Brien

Defense:
Mikhail Sergachev – Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt – John Marino
Ian Cole – Nick DeSimone

Between the Pipes:
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vaněček

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...hread-colorado-avalanche-utah-mammoth-700-p-m

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Avalanche survive with 3-1 win over Blackhawks

DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 28: Gavin Brindley #54 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates after a goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

In continuation of the Central Division showdowns, the Colorado Avalanche moved on in their busy schedule in hosting the Chicago Blackhawks in a Saturday afternoon affair hoping to erase the bitter taste of defeat from two nights ago. It wasn’t a masterful effort but still Colorado found enough to end up with a 3-1 win over Chicago.

The Game​

It wasn’t the start to the game the Avalanche were hoping for. Devon Toews took a hooking penalty six minutes into the match and Connor Bedard converted for Chicago on the power play for the game’s first score. For the rest of the first period the two teams would trade fruitless power plays while the Avalanche crafted a 14-4 shot advantage.

The second period wasn’t much better and was a slog to get through. Colorado took a too many men penalty early and then Chicago was called for three straight infractions after that. Colorado capitalized on none of them, gaining only a 9-5 shot advantage in the period in the process.

A sign of life, though, emerged after the fourth failed power play of the game for Colorado as Cale Makar found the back of the net with nine seconds left in the period. It wasn’t even a clean pass from MacKinnon as a Blackhawk tipped it on the way to Makar but he was able to find an open look much closer to the net that he has been and fired his favorite shot from the top of the right circle to tie the game 1-1 heading into the second intermission.

A shorthanded 3-on-1 happened early in the final frame but the Avalanche over-passed their way out of it to keep the game tied. Who knew the fourth line would bail out the Avalanche in their third minute of time on ice in the game? That’s exactly what happened midway through the third period to give Colorado their first lead of the contest when Gavin Brindley cleaned up some loose change at the net front.

Nothing else happened in this game except for an empty net goal scored by Makar after just seconds after Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Nečas over-passed themselves into a turnover when they had a chance at securing the victory. A 3-1 Colorado win was recorded after this sloppy game.

Takeaways​

Joel Kiviranta remained absent from this game with Zakhar Bardakov participating in his place. Prior to the game Jared Bednar admitted on the radio that the Finn is going through concussion protocol.

It was nice to see Brindley as the hero of the game but it’s troubling he still ended with 3:26 time on ice and not a second more after he scored the game winning goal. It’s fair to wonder how much of the current bottom six forward group will remain on the roster after the upcoming NHL trade deadline on Friday.

Upcoming​

A busy March schedule kicks off with the first of a back-to-back in California against the LA Kings at 8:30 p.m. MT on Monday, March 2nd.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...valanche-survive-with-3-1-win-over-blackhawks

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

List of 2026 Avalanche ELC Decisions

ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 4: Max Curran #12 of Czechia looks on against Canada in the third period of a semifinal game during the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Today is an important day in the prospect development cycle, the day in which future NHL contracts can be signed and registered. This means that organizations can begin to shape their prospect depth charts for the 2026-27 season. Despite the Colorado Avalanche decimating their prospect pipeline year over year there are still a few players relevant to this decision point and could ink a contract in short order.

Who is the top #goavsgo unsigned prospect? (Comment for other)

— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) February 17, 2026

Max Curran​

The belief is that according to PuckPedia Max Curran’s rights expire on June 1, 2026 as the talented forward was selected in the fifth round out of the WHL in the 2024 NHL draft before the new CBA’s rule changes. He’s enjoyed a good if not great junior career and is ready to take the next step in hockey next fall. This is a contract the Avalanche front office should execute before losing Curran’s rights as they don’t have many prospects to sign, especially up front. The 19-year-old helped his cause with a nice World Juniors performance and was a key player in Czechia’s semi-final defeat of Canada.

GOAL Max Curran scores the equalizer as and are tied 1-1 heading into the second period!

Listen to the #WorldJuniors LIVE https://t.co/iPxs8pzrZf

pic.twitter.com/EMGYFMWy60

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) January 5, 2026

Complicating matters, though, Curran suffered an upper-body injury in January shortly after his return to the WHL and is currently listed out month-to-month, which calls into question if his season is over. If so, has Curran done enough with 41 points in 31 games to earn a contract from the Avalanche?

Another wrinkle to this story is that on February 3rd it was announced that Curran has committed to UMass for the 2026-27 season. Is this the backup plan if he doesn’t receive an offer from Colorado or does he already know it’s not coming? He is known to be an excellent student and this is an exciting opportunity for him but if Colorado gives up their rights to him, Curran would become a college free agent and free to sign anywhere when he is ready to move on from the NCAA.

Christian Humphreys​

It is going to be very interesting to watch which direction Christian Humphreys goes after his season with the Kitchener Rangers wraps up. The talented forward has enjoyed a very productive 19-year old season in junior with 78 points in 56 games. As he was drafted out of the US NTDP, Humphries’ rights do not expire this summer unlike Curran and therefore several options are open to him.

Now with the NCAA door back open to junior players, Humphreys could return to college instead of turning pro. He played a semester at Michigan in the fall after he was drafted in 2024 but then made the move to the OHL to finish out the season, which was a much better fit for him. Humphreys entered the transfer portal so it’s unlikely he’d return to Michigan but college could be a much more appealing opportunity than heading to the AHL right away. If he’s offered a NHL contract to turn pro those opportunities are tough to turn down, though.

HUMPS FINDS THE BACK OF THE NET WITH THE GOALIE PULLED #RTown | #BattleBuilt | #GoAvsGo https://t.co/b1Z21v3b0v pic.twitter.com/zbbr4Fn2rz

— Kitchener Rangers (@OHLRangers) January 3, 2026

Mikhail Gulyayev​

As always, contract decisions on Russians are a bit delayed as their playing season extends through the spring and after a recent change KHL contracts now don’t expire until June 1st. So, don’t expect any news right as the March 1st window opens but there’s realistic possibility that Mikhail Gulyayev signs an ELC sometime this spring and begins his North American career in the 2026-27 season. After a tough season with a marginalized role, playing forward at times and then a month’s absence due to a facial injury it is time for a chance of scenery for the talented defenseman. The 20-year-old has scored just three points in 46 games this year and needs to get his offensive game back on track with a new opportunity that’s hopefully on the horizon.

HATTY WATCH

Here's a look at #GoAvsGo prospect Mikhail Gulyayev's second goal of the game #KHLpreseason #BlinovCup

Video courtesy of HC Avangard pic.twitter.com/CSdzd60F0l

— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) August 24, 2025

Francesco Dell’Elce​

The Avalanche don’t have any graduating seniors currently in the NCAA but as always they could sign a few players early out of college if they are deemed ready to turn pro. Most notably is defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce who has enjoyed another productive year at UMass. As a 20-year old sophomore he scored 21 points n 31 games and should set a career high in production this season. It should be no secret that Dell’Elce profiles similarly to a left handed Sam Malinski, and the Avalanche do have a type, so another year or two of college development before signing a NHL contract wouldn’t be a bad plan of action but it’s not out of the question he signs after this year.

The overtime game winner

Francesco Dell’Elce’s OT goal is the @IsenbergUMass Impact Play of the Game from @UMassHockey’s Saturday night win #Flagship pic.twitter.com/ZTZY1Cc5uU

— UMass Athletics (@UMassAthletics) October 21, 2025

What are your predictions on who signs with the Avalanche? Who do you consider Colorado’s top unsigned prospect?

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/prospects-in-the-pipeline/60999/list-of-2026-avalanche-elc-decisions

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Chicago Blackhawks @ Colorado Avalanche (4:00 P.M.)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 23: Linesperson CJ Murray #68 drops the puck for a face-off between the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at the United Center on November 23, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

With two of five games in a seven day stretch now behind them, it’s safe to assume that the Colorado Avalanche were looking forward to the weekend.

This afternoon, the visiting Chicago Blackhawks will make their only regular season appearance in Denver, as the Avs face their third consecutive Central Division opponent in four days.

Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9)​

The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (22-27-9)

Time: 4:00 P.M. MST/6:00 P.M. EST

Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), CHSN (Blackhawks Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche currently sport a .500 record for the month of February, going 2-2 in that time frame. This would sound a lot more alarming if it weren’t for the extended Olympic pause that led to playing only four games through the month. A victory today would keep them from posting their second consecutive sub-500 month of hockey, and would certainly provide a lift after losing 5-2 to the visiting Minnesota Wild this past Thursday. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 of 34 shots in a contest that featured an impressive goalie duel between him and Filip Gustavsson—who stopped 45 of 47 shots in his own right—only to be overshadowed by questionable judgement (see Brent Burns launching the puck into the crowd during an Avalanche penalty kill that was already down not one, but two skaters) and officiating (poke checks are penalties now?).

Coach Jared Bednar lamented his team’s inability to widen the gap on both Minnesota and the idle Dallas Stars. “It’s the standings at the end of the year is what matters, right? So, that [game] was a missed opportunity; that’s what that was. Nine points if we win, two games in hand, that’s a long road to try and catch you, and now it’s tight. Five [points] with two [games] in hand, and there’s lots of hockey to be played. We’ve just got to take care of our business.”

The loss allowed Minnesota—playing in a first game of a back to back pair of their own—to leapfrog over Dallas to second place in the Central Division, closing to within five points of the Avs. However, just like the Avs, Minnesota failed to seize the moment in their second half of back to back games, as they lost to the Utah Mammoth by a score of 5-2 at Delta Center on Friday evening. The loss prevented them from closing to within three points of the Avalanche, who can now restore their seven point cushion with a win this afternoon.

Hockey giveth, and hockey taketh away.

Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup against Minnesota for the first time since returning from the Olympics, and while he did not add to his NHL goal scoring total—he remains at a League best 40 goals—he did reach the 95 point plateau (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid leads all skaters with 100 points). Martin Nečas, who scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season on Thursday evening, trails Brock Nelson (30) for third place in team scoring, and is three goals shy of tying his career high (28). While the loss to Minnesota may look lopsided by box score alone, Blackwood’s play to keep his team close for the majority of the contest ought to merit a return to the crease today.

The Avs still remain the undisputed leader across the Central Division, Western Conference, and League standings. Coming into this afternoon’s game, they have a game in hand on Dallas (who will be in action at American Airlines Center tonight against the Nashville Predators), and three games in hand on Minnesota.

Today’s game is the second in the three game series with Chicago. The Avs won the previous matchup on November 23, a 1-0 decision.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Gabe Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Artturi Lehkonen – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta* – Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley

Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Kiviranta, who was injured during the second period after taking a hit from Minnesota’s Zach Bogosian, is uncertain for today’s game at the time of this writing.

Chicago Blackhawks​

Chicago had a great start to 2026, winning five of their first six games in January. However, they followed up that effort by losing nine of their next twelve games prior to the Olympic break. Currently occupying seventh place in the Central Division standings with 53 points, they remain two points ahead of last place St. Louis (51). They kicked off a five game road trip prior to the Olympics, with their most recent effort being a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday evening.

Like Colorado, Chicago also had representation in Italy at the Olympics, but to a significantly smaller scale. Center Teuvo Teravainen won the bronze medal alongside Kiviranta as a member of Finland’s roster. The notable absence is center Connor Bedard, who was not invited to participate as a member of Canada’s Olympic roster. Bedard, who scored his twenty-fourth goal of the season against Nashville on Thursday night, currently leads all Chicago skaters in assists (30) and points (54), and ranks second to left wing Tyler Bertuzzi in goals (26).

While Bedard’s solid sophomore campaign led many to believe that he was on the short list to be selected to the Olympics by Hockey Canada, he was ultimately left off the roster once the final selections were announced. Bedard missed twelve games with an upper body injury sustained in a literal last second face-off sequence against St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn back in December, leading many to speculate if the injury was a key factor in leaving Bedard off the Canadian Olympic roster.

Goaltender Spencer Knight is three wins away from tying his career high (19) in his first full season with Chicago. He will likely start today against Colorado. Despite leading all Chicago goaltenders in wins (Arvid Soderblom has five wins on the season and Drew Commesso has one), Chicago has given up more than two goals in fourteen of ninteen games played in since the start of the New Year. That has contributed to the third worst goal differential (-33) in the NHL; only St. Louis (-52) and Vancouver (-62) rank lower.

Today’s match-up against Colorado marks their only regular season visit to Denver, and marks the first game of a back to back weekend. They will finish the weekend in—where else?—Salt Lake City against the Mammoth on Sunday afternoon. The season series against Colorado will conclude on home ice at United Center on March 20.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky
Oliver Moore – Frank Nazar – Tyler Bertuzzi
Ryan Donato – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Teuvo Teravainen – Nick Foligno – Landon Slaggert

Defense:
Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier
Connor Murphy – Sam Rinzel
Matt Grzelcyk – Artyom Levshunov

Between the Pipes:
Spencer Knight
Arvid Söderblom

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...chicago-blackhawks-colorado-avalanche-400-p-m

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: Avs start road trip with late-night look at LA Kings

The Colorado Avalanche look to complete a season sweep over the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Ball Arena in Denver. The Kings have struggled with a persistent lack of scoring, prompting their acquisition of Artemi Panarin earlier this season.

Unfortunately, the move hasn’t delivered the offensive spark they expected, contributing to the firing of head coach Jim Hiller on March 1.

D.J. Smith has been elevated to interim head coach as the team searches for a jolt.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche continue to rack up wins despite an inconsistent power play and occasional overhandling of the puck. Will it be the desperate Kings that come out on top, or are the Avalanche just too good?

All the things pic.twitter.com/51Knz07G9N

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 2, 2026

Colorado Avalanche: 39-10-9​

The Opponent: LA Kings (24-21-14)

Time: 8:30 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

Those fans who constantly yell ‘Shoot!’ whenever the Avalanche hold the puck in the offensive zone for too long usually annoy me—but right now, they’re validated. In their last outing against the Blackhawks, Colorado passed up way too many prime scoring chances, allowing a rebuilding Chicago team to stick around in a game they had no business being competitive in. Let’s see if the Avs can buck that trend tonight.

Nothing has been written or talked about more in Colorado than their power play, which continues to struggle mightily at generating dangerous looks and seems all too content with perimeter point shots from Cale Makar and cross-ice one-timers. The lack of creativity comes off as stubborn and entitled at this point. That mindset has to change—and soon—if they’re going to make a deep playoff run.

Lots of frustrations around the power play, but Martin Necas gave a lot of praise to Cale Makar and the way the man-advantage worked today:

"We just got to stick with it, and I'm sure it's going to come."

Martin Necas | Full postgame presser pic.twitter.com/UF7s0mWCMK

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) March 1, 2026

Projected Lineup:​

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Valeri Nichushkin
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Martin Necas
Ross Colton — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta — Parker Kelly — Gavin Brindley

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski

Scott Wedgewood
MacKenzie Blackwood

Los Angeles Kings​

Anze Kopitar has been vocal lately, telling media ‘we need to be better’ amid the Kings’ ongoing struggles, but many LA fans are simply pleading for the team to open things up offensively. Their heavy emphasis on checking, structure, and back-end play has seemingly drained the life from the attack, contributing to persistent scoring woes despite additions like Artemi Panarin.

Artemi Panarin. Los Angeles King. pic.twitter.com/e3B82EWuJi

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 24, 2026

With D.J. Smith stepping in as interim head coach after Jim Hiller’s firing, expect a potential shift—Smith’s energetic, confidence-focused style could encourage a riskier, more open brand of hockey than the cautious approach seen in the first two meetings this season against Colorado.

Keep an eye on defenseman Brandt Clarke, who’s deployed a classic pest strategy in those prior matchups—cross-checking, agitating, and getting under the Avs’ skin. As the rubber match in this season series (with the sweep on the line), things could get chippy, and we might see some fisticuffs to settle the bad blood.

Projected Lineup:​

Artemi Panarin — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore — Quinton Byfield — Alex Laferriere
Warren Foegele — Alex Turcotte — Corey Perry
Jeff Malott — Samuel Helenius — Taylor Ward

Joel Edmundson — Brandt Clarke
Mikey Anderson — Cody Ceci
Jacob Moverare — Brian Dumoulin

Anton Forsberg
Darcy Kuemper

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...rt-road-trip-with-late-night-look-at-la-kings

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Kings no match for Colorado as Avalanche win 4-2

Mar 2, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Martin Necas (88) celebrates with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) after scoring a goal. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Colorado Avalanche secured a milestone victory on Monday night, defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4–2 at Crypto.com Arena to capture the franchise’s 1,750th regular-season win.

A late third-period goal from defenseman Devon Toews proved to be the difference, while Martin Nečas delivered a dominant three-point performance (one goal, two assists). Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog each contributed a goal and an assist as Colorado improved to 40-10-9 on the season. In net, Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 19 of 21 shots to anchor the win.

What Happened

Colorado established control early.

MacKinnon opened the scoring just 4:27 into the first period, wiring a one-timer from the slot off a rush chance created by Nečas. The goal — his 41st of the season — extended his torrid offensive pace and immediately quieted the home crowd.

The Avalanche doubled their advantage at 10:13 of the opening frame. Landeskog buried a one-timer from the high slot for his eighth of the year after a crisp setup from defenseman Brent Burns, showcasing Colorado’s sharp puck movement through the neutral zone.

It looked like the visitors were going to cruise to an easy win but Los Angeles responded late in the period. Brandt Clarke cut the deficit to 2–1 with a power-play blast from the point at 17:20, beating Blackwood through traffic.

To begin the second period Martin Nečas had a goal wiped off the board due to a quick whistle. Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg didn’t have the puck secured and dropped it in the crease. But the officials deemed it no goal and play moved on.

The Kings carried that momentum of good fortune and evened the game at 8:32 when Angus Booth redirected a feed at the left doorstep, tying the contest at 2–2.

The game remained tightly contested until the closing minutes of regulation.

With 4:55 remaining in the third period, Toews broke the deadlock on his second goal of the season. MacKinnon controlled the puck high in the zone, skating from the point toward the right circle before threading a cross-ice pass into the slot. Toews stepped into the feed and snapped home his second goal of the season, restoring Colorado’s lead at 3–2.

Nečas sealed the victory in dramatic fashion at 19:59, scoring into an empty net on the power play for his 26th goal of the year to secure the 4–2 final.

Colorado now turns its focus toward sustaining momentum as the regular season enters its decisive stretch. Unfortunately they lost the services of Artturi Lehkonen early in the first period to an upper-body injury and Jared Bednar stated postgame that the Finnish winger will miss some time.

Upcoming

It’s a quick turn around as the Avalanche continue their road trip Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks, with puck drop scheduled for 8 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on Altitude, Altitude+, and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...gs-no-match-for-colorado-as-avalanche-win-4-2

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche vs. Anaheim Ducks (8:00 p.m. MT)

DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 11: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche passes the puck against the Anaheim Ducks. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After winning 4-2 against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday, courtesy of a late third-period go-ahead goal from Devon Toews, the Colorado Avalanche are back at it again tonight as they take on the Anaheim Ducks on the second leg of a back-to-back. This will be the third and final regular-season game between these two teams.

Colorado Avalanche (40-10-9)​

Colorado kicked off their second back-to-back in about a week against the Kings yesterday. Colorado managed to build a two-goal lead early in the first period, but LA was able to come back and ultimately tie the game at 2-2. Devon Toews would be the one to give the Avs the lead back late in the third period, off a beautiful pass from Nathan MacKinnon to set him up. The other big piece of news during the game last night was, of course, Artturi Lehkonen going out during the game. He won’t be playing tonight in Anaheim and is going to miss some time.

Artturi Lehkonen will not play tomorrow in Anaheim. Bednar says he’s going to miss some time.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal.bsky.social) 2026-03-03T06:28:27.323Z

Projected Lineup​

Gabriel Landeskog – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Parker Kelly – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Jason Polin – Bardakov – Gavin Brindley

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski

Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Anaheim Ducks (33-23-3)​

The Ducks come into this game off a 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Flames on Sunday, and are currently locked in a battle for the top spot in the Pacific Division, sitting just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for that spot. The Ducks are an incredibly fun and talented team, with a phenomenal goaltender in Lukas Dostal. They’ve shown that they can certainly be competitive, as they’re competing for the top spot in the Pacific, and every point matters to this team at this point. Colorado is perfectly capable of beating this team, but it’ll certainly be easier said than done.

Projected Lineup​

Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Cutter Gauthier
Jeffrey Viel – Mason McTavish – Beckett Sennecke
Alex Killorn – Ryan Poehling – Jansen Harkins
Ross Johnston – Tim Washe – Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba
Olen Zellweger – Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov – Drew Helleson

Lukas Dostal
Ville Husso

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...olorado-avalanche-vs-anaheim-ducks-800-p-m-mt