RSS Avalanche Team Notes

[Colorado Avalanche]

2025-26 Avalanche of Injuries, Part Two

There has been some improvements on the Colorado Avalanche injury front since Part One of our update from the infirmary. Goaltender Makenzie Blackwood made his first start of the season on November first as he is finally fully recovered from an offseason issue. Defenseman Samuel Girard, who was hurt in the home opener and missed 15 games with an upper-body injury, returned to the lineup on November 13th as well.

Now there are three main absences impacting the Avalanche roster and all are at the forward position. Given their current stated timelines and reading the tea leaves, all could return within the same time frame of within a couple weeks from now assuming no (more) setbacks.

Logan O’Connor

Everyone’s favorite energy player started appearing in the red no-contact jersey with Girard in skates earlier this month but has yet to progress to taking contact and practicing with his Avalanche teammates. Now the team has revealed Logan O’Connor suffered a setback not related to his hip offseason hip surgery as he works through rehab in his return to play.

Logan O'Connor has had some other non-hip related soft tissue issues pop up that have delayed his return.

Original expectation was that he'd be back early November. Bednar said it's nothing serious but that's why he's not back yet.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) November 17, 2025

Joel Kiviranta

Depth forward Joel Kiviranta has missed 15 games since last playing in Columbus on October 16th. The original timeline, which was not shared publicly, estimated that Kiviranta would miss 6-8 weeks with a lower-body injury. Currently we are at the five week mark and the left wing has been doing some light skating on his own. On Wednesday he progressed to skating with the team in a non-contact jersey. If he begins to ramp up skating and takes contact soon, Kiviranta could return during the early portion of the original six-to-eight week timetable.

Bednar says Kiviranta's original timeline was 6-8 weeks. They're at 4 weeks now, and Kivi was on the ice in a non-contact during this morning's optional skate.

"He's going to start joining practice here, non-contact, for a little bit."

— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) November 16, 2025

Val Nichushkin

The newest injury on this list but certainly the most impactful, the Avalanche hope Val Nichushkin’s absence isn’t long. The left wing departed the Anaheim Ducks game on November 11th and has missed three games so far with Colorado’s light schedule this month. His lower-body injury isn’t considered serious but in the past these types of issues have lingered. He did engage in some light skating on Wednesday separate from the team. If Nichushkin only misses a couple weeks that would be a favorable outcome for the Avalanche.

Jared Bednar said they’re watching how Val Nichushkin progresses through the soreness.

“Again I don't think it's too serious, but he's going to miss a handful of games for sure.”

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) November 15, 2025

Note: Gavin Brindley left last night’s game against the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury. Although he tried to test the injury before the second period began he had to end his night early. Bednar didn’t have much of an update following the game and said they’d know more today.

Gavin Brindley (lower body) will not return to tonight's game.

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 21, 2025

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/general/59656/2025-26-avalanche-of-injuries-part-two

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: Avalanche feeling predatory in Nashville

Beginning yet another weekend back-to-back, the Colorado Avalanche hit the road in search of four points against Central Division foes. First up is the first of four meetings over the next eight weeks with the Nashville Predators.

Colorado Avalanche (14-1-5)​

The Opponent: Nashville Predators (6-10-4)

Time: 6:00 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude 2, Altitude+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

Following a successful home stand in which the Avalanche won their seventh game in a row and swept their four opponents to become the fourth team in NHL history to complete their first 20 games with only one regulation loss, the squad takes their show on the road in hopes of dominating another weekend set.

Almost all is right in the world of the burgundy and blue with the exception of a few injuries to some depth forwards and most notably Val Nichushkin. Despite the second unit cashing in the previous contest, the power play is still an eyesore but isn’t causing any losses so there’s room to tinker and hopefully find a solution.

Rookie forward Gavin Brindley couldn’t finish the previous game against the New York Rangers and Jason Polin was recalled from the Colorado Eagles prior to the Avalanche’s flight to Nashville. It’s a pretty safe assumption that Polin will join fellow recall Tristen Nielsen on the fourth line with Zakhar Bardakov.

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas

Ross Colton – Brock Nelson – Victor Olofsson

Gabe Landeskog – Jack Drury – Parker Kelly

Tristen Nielsen – Zakhar Bardakov – Jason Polin

Devon Toews – Cale Makar

Josh Manson – Brent Burns

Sam Girard – Sam Malinski

Nashville Predators​

After participating in a Global Series pair of games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden last weekend where they earned a split, the Nashville Predators received nearly a week off and are back at it at home to face the formidable Avalanche.

Amid numerous trade rumors the Predators are plugging along hoping to improve after last season’s disastrous 68 point campaign and avoid the fire sale. Currently the Predators sit last in the Central Division with 16 points but a week out of action doesn’t help matters. Getting back on track against the Avalanche is a tough task, though.

Leading Nashville in scoring is Filip Forsberg with 15 points in 20 games. Ryan O’Reilly is enjoying a good start to the year upping his trade value with 13 points. Surprisingly, rookie forward Matthew Wood who was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft is third in scoring with six goals and 10 points in 13 games. Luke Evangelista emerged from his contract standoff with Predators GM Barry Trotz as a top liner tied for fourth in team scoring with 10 points to round out the forward core. Old friend Tyson Jost could also make an appearance as he is on the roster after he was picked up on waivers from Carolina and has currently played 15 games for Nashville.

Still missing is captain Roman Josi out with an upper-body injury but he has resumed skating with the team at least. The squad could certainly use his return on the back end if they hope to climb out of the Central division basement.

Projected Lineup

Filip Forsberg – Ryan O’Reilly – Luke Evangelista

Steven Stamkos – Eric Haula – Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Bunting – Fedor Svechkov – Matthew Wood

Michael McCarron – Tyson Jost – Ozzie Weisblatt

Brady Skjei – Nick Perbix

Nicolas Hague – Nick Blankenburg

Spencer Stastney – Justin Barron

Goaltenders​

Scott Wedgewood received the last two starts for Colorado and has been excellent in net but with the back-to-back surely he and Mackenzie Blackwood will split the starts this weekend. Which one going first should be revealed at morning skate.

In net it has been less than stellar for the Predators with the Finnish tandem of Juuse Saros and old friend Justus Annunen sporting save percentages under .900 with backup Annunen still in search for his first win on the season. Considering the time off it’s makes sense Saros will be in net to begin Nashville’s two-game home stand in game one against Colorado, which also happens to be Nashville’s Hockey Fights Cancer night.

Here's more on Juuse Saros' custom Hockey Fights Cancer mask he'll be wearing on Nov. 22 vs Colorado. https://t.co/dYtSP7ss8r

— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) November 20, 2025

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...view-avalanche-feeling-predatory-in-nashville

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Blackwood earns Colorado’s first shutout of the season

The accolades just keep coming for the Colorado Avalanche as they’ve extended their win streak to eight games with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. What what was interesting about this win, in what has become expected in a routine fashion, is the distinction that it was Colorado’s first shutout of the 2025-26 season came in also their worst game of the season.

The Game

There isn’t much to say about this contest. Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns scored 15 seconds into the game surprising Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros with Colorado’s first shot on goal. Truly nothing happened for the following 58 minutes until Colorado got two empty net goals from both Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury as Nashville was trying to salvage a point out of the contest to arrive at the 3-0 Avalanche victory.

Takeaways

What made this the worst game of the season against possibly the weakest team in the league is that it was Colorado’s worst analytic performance on the season. The 36% Corsi For percentage they earned this evening is a far cry from the dominant puck possession we’ve come to expect from the burgundy and blue. Giving up 2.75 expected goals against at 5-on-5 to Nashville is also a high mark for any opponent this season.

Of course doing all this with a leading goal put on the board 15 seconds into the game is a fair bit of needed context. Nashville pushed back from the onset and outshot Colorado 16-6 in the first period. Despite some early goals we’ve seen this year from this Avalanche squad they’ve also had some slower starts and flat first periods even during the now eight-game win streak. What Colorado can do, though, is eventually pressure their opponent enough by the third period to take control back. They didn’t do enough to turn the tide analytically but were exerting their game much more by the time the Avalanche potted those two empty netters.

With Gavin Brindley now expected to miss a couple weeks at least with a lower body injury, the coaching staff decided to tinker with the power play yet again by moving up Gabe Landeskog to the first unit instead of Victor Olofsson. It didn’t work as Colorado went 0/2 on the man advantage in this contest. Nashville obviously didn’t score on their three power plays either, though.

The good news is this was the first start Mackenzie Blackwood began looking like himself as he earned Colorado’s first shutout of the season. The Avalanche netminder stopped 35 shots and was first star on the evening. It will be interesting to see if this gets him the starting job back with an upcoming game against the San Jose Sharks before another weekend back-to-back.

Upcoming

No rest for the weary as the Avalanche head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks Sunday evening at 5 p.m. MT.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...d-earns-colorados-first-shutout-of-the-season

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: The Avs Face Chicago in a Second City Showdown

The Colorado Avalanche are the hottest team in the NHL, even when their play of late has cooled down.

As they wrap up another set of back-to-back road games, they aim to crank up the temperature against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks in a bid to extend their winning streak to double digits.

Colorado Avalanche (15-1-5)​

The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (10-7-4)

Time: 5:00 P.M. MST/7:00 P.M. EST

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

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche have won nine straight games coming into tonight’s contest. Their most recent victim victory came yesterday evening, a 3-0 shutout over the Nashville Predators. Brent Burns scored the opening goal just fifteen seconds into the game, which somehow withstood a multitude of self-inflicted turnovers and a barrage of shots throughout the contest—Colorado was outshot 35-26—until empty net goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury finally secured the victory.

Head coach Jared Bednar would label his team’s first period effort as “horrendous”, but heaped praise upon Mackenzie Blackwood, who would earn his third straight win and his fifteenth career shutout. Colorado improved to 2-0-2 against opponents within the Central Division, and remains firmly atop the League standings in points (35) and wins (15). They have a five point division lead over second place Dallas (while playing one fewer game), and improved to 7-1-3 on the road.

MacKinnon continues his dominance in League scoring among forwards. After a rare night off the scoreboard against the New York Islanders at Ball Arena, he’s recorded three goals and one assist in the two games that have since followed. His 17 goals and 37 points lead the League, and he is three assists shy of leading that category (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has 23 assists compared to MacKinnon’s 20).

Over on the defensive side of the line, Cale Makar is also far and away the leader in League scoring. He leads all defensemen in goals (8), assists (20), and points (28). Goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who had the night off against Nashville, will likely be in goal for the Avs tonight. His twelve wins serves as the high-water mark for goalies in the League.

A victory at United Center tonight will be the third straight for the Avalanche dating back to last season. It would also serve as the team’s tenth straight win, which would also equal the amount of total regular season wins for six other teams—Chicago among them—across the entire NHL.

Ho hum, just another day at the office, right?

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Ross Colton
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Tristen Nielsen – Zakhar Bardakov – Jason Polin

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

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Chicago Blackhawks​

There are signs of a pulse starting to return for the Chicago Blackhawks. After finishing the 2023-2024 season with a 23-53-5 record and a 52 point total, the franchise went 25-46-7 totaling 61 points last season. Head coach Luke Richardson, who had spent the previous two seasons in the role, was dismissed during last season. However, general manager Kyle Davisdson chose to hire former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill rather than appoint Anders Sorensen, who succeeded Richardson in an interim capacity, as Chicago’s bench boss.

Phenom Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has put his critics on notice. After finishing his sophomore season with 23 goals and 44 assists for 67 points—all career bests—he is well on his way towards setting even better marks in all three categories. With just 21 games played thus far this season, Bedard’s 13 goals are good enough for fifth place in the League, while his 31 points rank him fourth overall in total points. His future is looking bright, and his performance will undoubtedly lift spirits around the Windy City higher than they have in seasons past.

Davidson spent the offseason locking down key components of his roster to continue to turn improve the team’s fortunes. Ryan Donato signed a four-year, $16 million dollar extension this past June. His seven goals are good for third place in team scoring. Center Frank Nazar signed a seven-year, $46 million dollar extension in August. Nazar’s fifteen points place him in a three way tie for third place with Teuvo Teravainen and former Avalanche winger Andrew Burakovsky, who was acquired in June for Joe Veleno. Burakovsky also has seven goals and on the season, tying him with Donato for third place on the team.

Goaltender Spencer Knight, acquired from Florida in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones, signed a three-year, $17.5 million dollar extension in September. After spending the majority of his career as a backup to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, he now has his first real opportunity to play as a starter. Through fourteen games played thus far, Knight has won seven games and has posted a 2.47 GAA and a .922 save percentage. While there’s still a lot of hockey to play this year, Knight’s start this season is certainly a good indicator that he will be able to grow alongside the rest of Chicago’s young core.

Chicago comes into tonight’s game on a two game losing streak, posting back-to-back losses to Seattle (a 3-2 decision) at home this past Thursday and to Buffalo at Keybank Center (a lopsided 9-3 decision) on Friday. Facing Colorado on any given night is a tall order, but doing so as the third game in four nights as a follow-up to two consecutive losses makes the task loom even larger.

Chicago split the season series against Colorado last season, with their most recent victory coming on home ice on January 08, 2025, a 3-1 decision.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen – Frank Nazar – Oliver Moore
Colton Dach – Ryan Donato – Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert – Sam Lafferty

Defense:
Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk – Connor Murphy

Between the Pipes:
Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...he-avs-face-chicago-in-a-second-city-showdown

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Avs Blank Blackhawks

In another busy back-to-back weekend set the Colorado Avalanche concluded their road trip with another divisional foe in the Chicago Blackhawks. In the past this matchup has been a bit of trouble but Scott Wedgewood was up to the task, crafting his own shutout on the weekend with 22 saves in a 1-0 Avalanche victory.

The Game

Following their sluggish start last night, the Avalanche started this game with more energy and got their first shot on goal within the first minute but it didn’t result in much momentum gained. It then took almost the rest of the entire period to get one additional shot on the board despite earning a power play. Chicago earned two power plays themselves but couldn’t score either so the first 20 minutes of play resulted in a scoreless tie.

Colorado made it a purpose to get more shots on goal in the second period and did just that outshooting Chicago 19-1 in the frame. The visitors also added two more fruitless power plays to their ledger, however. Cale Makar saved the day with just two minutes left in the period. He snuck over to the left side of the ice, corralled a rebound off of a Tristen Nielsen shot and fired the puck which hit off the left post and past Spencer Knight who was playing brilliantly up to that point.

Chicago woke back up in the third period putting 10 shots on Wedgewood and made it somewhat of a game again but the window to score was in the first period when the Avs were playing poorly. Chicago managed to keep the puck out of the net with Knight pulled for the extra attacker but no dice as Colorado walked away with yet another shutout in this 1-0 win.

Takeaways

Not so fast, Mackenzie Blackwood. After impressing with his own shutout just the night before, Scott Wedgewood upped his game and put his own goose egg up on the board. Maybe he won’t relinquish the net so soon after all. Having two goaltenders playing great is an excellent problem to have but the standard has now been set.

Shutting out an entire weekend back-to-back set is impressive and full credit goes to both Colorado goaltenders. The team in front of them didn’t quite earn their flowers in making it happen, though. This Chicago game wasn’t near as bad analytically as last night in Nashville but two putrid first periods were a theme. The goalies shut the door and allowed Colorado to get back to their game as time wore on. Good teams find different ways to win and having both goaltenders each steal a game is a welcome result.

It’s interesting that in both games the game winning goal came from a defenseman (Brent Burns and Cale Makar, respectively) and no forward scored outside the Nashville empty net goals. The power play also went 0/5 as it sinks back to 24th in the league with 15.7% on the season. While stringing together nine wins in a row equals tremendous results, there may be signs showing that the team is due for a little tuneup before some slumps begin to show up on the scoreboard.

Upcoming

After another couple days off, the plucky San Jose Sharks come to town for a 7 p.m. MT puck drop at Ball Arena on Wednesday, November 26th.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colorado-avalanche-game-coverage/59760/recap-avs-blank-blackhawks

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche @ Chicago Blackhawks (5:00 P.M.)

The Colorado Avalanche are the hottest team in the NHL, even when their play of late has cooled down.

As they wrap up another set of back-to-back road games, they aim to crank up the temperature against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks in a bid to extend their winning streak to double digits.

Colorado Avalanche (15-1-5)​

The Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (10-7-4)

Time: 5:00 P.M. MST/7:00 P.M. EST

Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Broadcast Area), NHL, NHL Center Ice (Outside Avalanche Broadcast Area – US), SN+, TVAS+ (Canadian Broadcast Areas)

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche have won nine straight games coming into tonight’s contest. Their most recent victim victory came yesterday evening, a 3-0 shutout over the Nashville Predators. Brent Burns scored the opening goal just fifteen seconds into the game, which somehow withstood a multitude of self-inflicted turnovers and a barrage of shots throughout the contest—Colorado was outshot 35-26—until empty net goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury finally secured the victory.

Head coach Jared Bednar would label his team’s first period effort as “horrendous”, but heaped praise upon Mackenzie Blackwood, who would earn his third straight win and his fifteenth career shutout. Colorado improved to 2-0-2 against opponents within the Central Division, and remains firmly atop the League standings in points (35) and wins (15). They have a five point division lead over second place Dallas (while playing one fewer game), and improved to 7-1-3 on the road.

MacKinnon continues his dominance in League scoring among forwards. After a rare night off the scoreboard against the New York Islanders at Ball Arena, he’s recorded three goals and one assist in the two games that have since followed. His 17 goals and 37 points lead the League, and he is three assists shy of leading that category (Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has 23 assists compared to MacKinnon’s 20).

Over on the defensive side of the line, Cale Makar is also far and away the leader in League scoring. He leads all defensemen in goals (8), assists (20), and points (28). Goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who had the night off against Nashville, will likely be in goal for the Avs tonight. His twelve wins serves as the high-water mark for goalies in the League.

A victory at United Center tonight will be the third straight for the Avalanche dating back to last season. It would also serve as the team’s tenth straight win, which would also equal the amount of total regular season wins for six other teams—Chicago among them—across the entire NHL.

Ho hum, just another day at the office, right?

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Ross Colton
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Tristen Nielsen – Zakhar Bardakov – Jason Polin

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

Between the Pipes:
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood

Chicago Blackhawks​

There are signs of a pulse starting to return for the Chicago Blackhawks. After finishing the 2023-2024 season with a 23-53-5 record and a 52 point total, the franchise went 25-46-7 totaling 61 points last season. Head coach Luke Richardson, who had spent the previous two seasons in the role, was dismissed during last season. However, general manager Kyle Davisdson chose to hire former Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill rather than appoint Anders Sorensen, who succeeded Richardson in an interim capacity, as Chicago’s bench boss.

Phenom Connor Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has put his critics on notice. After finishing his sophomore season with 23 goals and 44 assists for 67 points—all career bests—he is well on his way towards setting even better marks in all three categories. With just 21 games played thus far this season, Bedard’s 13 goals are good enough for fifth place in the League, while his 31 points rank him fourth overall in total points. His future is looking bright, and his performance will undoubtedly lift spirits around the Windy City higher than they have in seasons past.

Davidson spent the offseason locking down key components of his roster to continue to turn improve the team’s fortunes. Ryan Donato signed a four-year, $16 million dollar extension this past June. His seven goals are good for third place in team scoring. Center Frank Nazar signed a seven-year, $46 million dollar extension in August. Nazar’s fifteen points place him in a three way tie for third place with Teuvo Teravainen and former Avalanche winger Andrew Burakovsky, who was acquired in June for Joe Veleno. Burakovsky also has seven goals and on the season, tying him with Donato for third place on the team.

Goaltender Spencer Knight, acquired from Florida in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones, signed a three-year, $17.5 million dollar extension in September. After spending the majority of his career as a backup to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in Florida, he now has his first real opportunity to play as a starter. Through fourteen games played thus far, Knight has won seven games and has posted a 2.47 GAA and a .922 save percentage. While there’s still a lot of hockey to play this year, Knight’s start this season is certainly a good indicator that he will be able to grow alongside the rest of Chicago’s young core.

Chicago comes into tonight’s game on a two game losing streak, posting back-to-back losses to Seattle (a 3-2 decision) at home this past Thursday and to Buffalo at Keybank Center (a lopsided 9-3 decision) on Friday. Facing Colorado on any given night is a tall order, but doing so as the third game in four nights as a follow-up to two consecutive losses makes the task loom even larger.

Chicago split the season series against Colorado last season, with their most recent victory coming on home ice on January 08, 2025, a 3-1 decision.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Tyler Bertuzzi
Teuvo Teravainen – Frank Nazar – Oliver Moore
Colton Dach – Ryan Donato – Ilya Mikheyev
Landon Slaggert – Zakhar Bardakov – Sam Lafferty

Defense:
Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk – Connor Murphy

Between the Pipes:
Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...colorado-avalanche-chicago-blackhawks-500-p-m

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Weekly Cupcakes: Burns loving his time with the Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche (and former) News​

• The Islanders have announced that Romanov is out for 5-6 months after the hit by Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen earned a game misconduct on the hit. [NY Post]

• It was a busy week for Rants as he was also ejected from the game against the Flames – earning himself an automatic one game suspension. [Toronto Star]

• Brent Burns is loving life on and off the ice with the Colorado Avalanche. [NHL]

• Mackenzie Blackwood earned himself a shutout on Saturday night. [The Hockey News]

• For fun-times; revisiting the Canadiens & Avalanche Patrick Roy trade. [The Hockey Writers]

• Buffalo Sabres have put Alexandar Georgiev on waivers to terminate his contract. [CBS Sports]

• Are the Colorado Avalanche just getting started? Is there a higher gear they’ll hit soon? [Daily Faceoff]

Olympics News​

• Wedgewood is having a great season, could he represent Team Canada at the Olympics? [NHL]

• NHL, NHLPA give IOC a deadline on Olympic rink progress. [Sportsnet]

• Sidney Crosby is motivated to make his return to the Olympics. [CBC]
• Jack Hughes named Polo Ralph Lauren ambassador for 2026 Olympics. [NHL]
• Olympic hockey rosters, who is in and who is out at the moment? [ESPN]

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/dail...-is-love-his-time-with-the-colorado-avalanche

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Morning Flurries: Wedgewood a candidate for the Olympics?

As the 2025 calendar year begins to wrap up, more and more focus is shifting to the next big event on the horizon and that’s the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. The Colorado Avalanche expect to have a large contingent of players heading to Milan to take part in the festivities but is there one Avalanche player that isn’t getting talked about enough?

Going into the season it was Mackenzie Blackwood getting the Olympic hopeful hype but with how Scott Wedgewood has played to begin the 2025-26 campaign he’s getting the talk as rosters will begin to solidly heading into the new year.

Elliotte Friedman: Team Canada goaltending: Binnington's gonna be there and I think Logan Thompson's gonna be there; at the very least I'd be looking at [Scott Wedgewood] as someone, he can play behind a really good team – 32 Thoughts (11/21)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) November 25, 2025

In an interview with The Rink podcast, Wedgewood talked about the possibility of getting the call to represent Canada due to his excellent start in Colorado this season. His 13-1-2 record with a 2.09 Goals Against Average and .918 save percentage must be getting some attention with the Hockey Canada folks especially as they try to convince themselves Jordan Binnington and his current .880 save percentage for the St. Louis Blues is good enough to win the gold medal.

"If it's an opportunity to get there, they'll get everything I got for sure"

In the latest episode of @TheRink, Scott Wedgewood joins @drosennhl & @sroarke_nhl to talk about his potential to make the 2026 Olympic team.

Listen to the full episode https://t.co/hZTzG1yaAY pic.twitter.com/EC0dLLlrqO

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) November 21, 2025

Wedgewood does not have extensive experience with Hockey Canada and hasn’t played on any team at the men’s level, last participating in the 2012 World Junior Championship. He makes a compelling argument, though, as he’s very familiar with backup usage so he’d be a good option as someone who can come in cold for a spot start as needed.

Also, for the Wedgewood fans, here’s a great interview on NHL Tonight following the 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks earlier this month.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/morning-flurries/59762/morning-flurries-wedgewood-eying-the-olympics

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators (6:00 p.m.)

Beginning yet another weekend back-to-back, the Colorado Avalanche hit the road in search of four points against Central Division foes. First up is the first of four meetings over the next eight weeks with the Nashville Predators.

Colorado Avalanche (14-1-5)​

The Opponent: Nashville Predators (6-10-4)

Time: 6:00 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude 2, Altitude+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

Following a successful home stand in which the Avalanche won their seventh game in a row and swept their four opponents to become the fourth team in NHL history to complete their first 20 games with only one regulation loss, the squad takes their show on the road in hopes of dominating another weekend set.

Almost all is right in the world of the burgundy and blue with the exception of a few injuries to some depth forwards and most notably Val Nichushkin. The power play is still an eyesore despite the second unit cashing in last game but isn’t causing any losses so there’s room to tinker and hopefully find a solution.

Rookie forward Gavin Brindley couldn’t finish the previous game against the New York Rangers and Jason Polin was recalled from the Colorado Eagles prior to the Avalanche’s flight to Nashville. It’s a pretty safe assumption that Polin will join fellow recall Tristen Nielsen on the fourth line with Zakhar Bardakov.

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas

Ross Colton – Brock Nelson – Victor Olofsson

Gabe Landeskog – Jack Drury – Parker Kelly

Tristen Nielsen – Zakhar Bardakov – Jason Polin

Devon Toews – Cale Makar

Josh Manson – Brent Burns

Sam Girard – Sam Malinski

Nashville Predators​

After participating in a Global Series pair of games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden last weekend where they earned a split, the Nashville Predators received nearly a week off and are back at it at home to face the formidable Avalanche.

Amid numerous trade rumors the Predators are plugging along hoping to improve after last season’s disastrous 68 point campaign and avoid the fire sale. Currently the Predators sit last in the Central Division with 16 points but a week out of action doesn’t help matters. Getting back on track against the Avalanche is a tough task, though.

Leading Nashville in scoring is Filip Forsberg with 15 points in 20 games. Ryan O’Reilly is enjoying a good start to the year upping his trade value with 13 points. Surprisingly, rookie forward Matthew Wood who was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft is third in scoring with six goals and 10 points in 13 games. Luke Evangelista emerged from his contract standoff with Predators GM Barry Trotz as a top liner tied for fourth in team scoring with 10 points to round out the forward core. Old friend Tyson Jost could also make an appearance as he is on the roster after he was picked up on waivers from Carolina and has currently played 15 games for Nashville.

Good news for Nashville is captain Roman Josi who was out with an upper-body injury is expected to draw back in the lineup tonight. The squad could certainly use his return on the back end if they hope to climb out of the Central division basement.

Projected Lineup

Filip Forsberg – Ryan O’Reilly – Luke Evangelista

Steven Stamkos – Eric Haula – Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Bunting – Fedor Svechkov – Matthew Wood

Michael McCarron – Tyson Jost – Ozzie Weisblatt

Brady Skjei – Nick Perbix

Nicolas Hague – Nick Blankenburg

Roman Josi – Justin Barron

Goaltenders​

Scott Wedgewood received the last two starts for Colorado but with the back-to-back surely he and Makenzie Blackwood will split the starts this weekend. Based on morning skate it appears that Blackwood gets the nod tonight.

In net it has been less than stellar for the Predators with the Finnish tandem of Juuse Saros and old friend Justus Annunen sporting save percentages under .900 with backup Annunen still in search for his first win on the season. Considering the time off it’s makes sense Saros will be in net to begin Nashville’s two-game home stand in game one against Colorado.

Follow along in the comments!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...rado-avalanche-at-nashville-predators-600-p-m

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: Colorado looks to keep it rolling against the Sharks

After heading out for a back-to-back on the road that saw the Avs take on the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks, both of whom Colorado earned shutouts against in their wins, they return home to Colorado today to take on the San Jose Sharks. This will be the second of three regular-season matchups between these two teams, with San Jose having won the first game.

Colorado Avalanche (16-1-5)​

Funnily enough, the Avalanche’s last loss was against the Sharks way back on November 1. Flash forward almost a month, and Colorado has now won nine straight games after that OT loss, and tonight they look to win their tenth straight. Whatever the situation might be in any game, the Avs just keep finding ways to win, over and over again. You can certainly make the argument that they didn’t play their best against Nashville or Chicago on the most recent back-to-back, but when both your goalies put up shutouts, and you win games 3-0 and 1-0 respectively, it’s really tough to complain. After all, they don’t ask how, they just ask how many. Guys have been stepping up all across the lineup, and you should expect the same here tonight.

Projected Lineup​

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Ross Colton – Brock Nelson – Gabriel Landeskog
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Ivan Ivan – Zakhar Bardakov – Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Samuel Girard – Sam Malinski

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

San Jose Sharks (11-9-3)​

This San Jose team has arguably been one of the best stories of the NHL season so far. Everyone knew that they certainly had talent throughout their lineup, but I don’t think anyone expected them to be sitting just two points out of a wild-card spot for the playoffs. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have been extremely good for this Sharks team to start the year, and they look like they’re going to be a problem for the league for years to come in just their second year in the NHL.

Projected Lineup​

William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Will Smith
Philipp Kurashev – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
Adam Gaudette – Ty Dellandrea – Collin Graf
Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves

Dmitry Orlov – Timothy Liljegren
Mario Ferraro – Shakir Mukhamadullin
Sam Dickinson – Vincent Desharnais

Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...o-looks-to-keep-it-rolling-against-the-sharks

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

5 Reasons to Give Thanks

A quick holiday break is the perfect time to give pause and reflect on what Colorado Avalanche fans have to be thankful for. Here are five reasons to give thanks over your turkey dinner.

The Captain Has Returned

It took three long grueling years of rehab but Gabe Landeskog is back as a regular player in the Avalanche lineup. Though it took him three tries to score his first goal of the season and then had a third goal called back the next game, Landeskog hasn’t lit up the scoreboard but his calming presence and leadership no doubt has helped Colorado climb to the top of the standings.

Twin MVP Candidates

Also a big help to that NHL leading record and 10-game win streak for Colorado is the continued elite play out of their superstars Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. With both at the top of their game they could be in the conversation to receive the Hart Trophy for league MVP at the end of the regular season.

As Seen on TV

After five and a half long years the Avalanche finally are back on television across the front range after striking a deal with Comcast. There are still several games broadcast over the air for free and even nine Colorado Eagles games available on local television. With the Altitude streaming app still an option as well, viewer accessibility has never seen better for local fans at least.

Martin Nečas $igned

No more drama, the Avalanche eventually committed to their star winger Martin Nečas with a $92 million dollar investment in an eight-year contract which kicks in next season. To erase that worry off everyone’s minds is more than enough reason to be thankful.

Nordiques Are Back

Even if just in jersey form for nine games, it’s fun to relive a little bit of history and for the Avalanche pay homage to their roots with the throwback Quebec Nordiques Heritage Series. The beautiful blue threads will be worn next on this Saturday, November 29th against Montreal.

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/general/59221/5-reasons-to-give-thanks

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Avs serve Sharks a shutout with humble pie

The Colorado Avalanche put their home-ice point streak to the test this evening against a young, rejuvenated, and talented San Jose Sharks club. The Avalanche were looking to log their 10th consecutive victory overall, and found their game early and often. Let the good times roll!

10 WINS IN A ROW pic.twitter.com/HsqJ4vanNH

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 27, 2025

The Game

Things started very positively for the Colorado Avalanche, who looked fresh-legged after a couple of days off, and Ross Colton and his newly shaved face tallied the first goal. The great Nate MacKinnon added a late power-play goal to put the Avalanche ahead 2-0 after one period of play.

The boys in burgundy and blue would build on that two-goal lead by notching three goals in scorching fashion. All three second-period goals came in the first five minutes of the second period. First, it was Sam Malinski putting on a snipe show, before Josh Manson did his best impression. It’s good to get some points from the back-end that’s been relatively quiet (offensively) outside of Cale Makar.

Then Joel Kiviranta scored in his first game back from injury, fresh off the draw caused by the fourth goal. It was straight-up domination at this point, and San Jose took a timeout to gather themselves amidst the 5-0 disaster. The timeout was effective in stopping the bleeding for the rest of the middle frame.

Nine seconds from puck drop to goal. pic.twitter.com/GBTNYZEyyn

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 27, 2025

The Avalanche and Sharks exchanged chances and power play opportunities for most of the third, but none of them tickled the twine. That is, until Nathan MacKinnon fed Artturi Lehkonen, who put away his own net-front rebound. That made it 6-0.

Takeaways

Colorado has led many games this season, and this one was no different. They have made one thing abundantly clear this season. They are great at playing with the lead. That said, I’m almost starting to worry about the lack of adversity the Avalanche have faced this season. I know that it’s awfully spoiled of me to be welcoming struggles, but something tells me it won’t be this easy in the playoffs. It would be nice to get some reps playing from behind.

Beat the guppies! pic.twitter.com/kLzXozDrL9

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 27, 2025

Good to see Joel Kiviranta get back on the ice and back on the board. It really does feel like this Colorado lineup is more than capable of thriving inside of the “next man up” model. It was also good to see Ivan Ivan get the call-up. He has plenty of experience, having played 40 games for the Avalanche last season.

The penalty kill was an unsung hero this evening, going a bit under the radar with the Avalanche scoring three goals in five minutes. They weren’t just perfect but also gritty and feisty—borderline postseason-level penalty killing typified by a diving clearance from Josh Manson in the middle of the third period.

Thirteen different Avalanche players logged a point in this outing, with Lehkonen, MacKinnon, and Necas logging two each.

We certainly didn’t learn this tonight, but it was most definitely reaffirmed— this Avalanche team is outstanding.

We certainly didn’t learn this tonight, but it was most definitely reaffirmed— this Avalanche team has two outstanding goalies.

If it sounds like I’m repeating myself, I’m just attempting to pay homage to MacKenzie Blackwood’s second consecutive shutout.

BACK
TO
BACK
TO
BACK SHUTOUTS pic.twitter.com/XO3udq3ORN

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 27, 2025

Upcoming

The Colorado Avalanche will head to Minnesota to face the Wild in a matinee contest on Friday at 1:30 p.m. MT. It should make for great visuals to complement your day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...ap-avs-serve-sharks-a-shutout-with-humble-pie

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild (1:30 p.m.)

It’s the first matchup of the year between Central division rivals Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. Both teams have enjoyed strong play lately with extended win streaks as they currently hold playoff positions. Can we expect a spirited game between these two teams during this busy holiday weekend of post-turkey shopping?

Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5)​

The Opponent: Minnesota Wild (13-7-4)

Time: 1:30 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

Not only have the Avalanche won 10 games in row they are now riding a three-game shutout streak. It’s not a question of who will hand Colorado their second regulation loss on the season but who is going to score a goal on this team?

Not surprisingly the stars are leading the way for the Avalanche with Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas and Cale Makar all with 30 points and are top-ten in the NHL for scoring. Inexplicably Makar has yet to score a power play goal this season, though MacKinnon cashed in on the man advantage in the previous game at least.

Joel Kiviranta entered the lineup last game after missing 17 contests with a lower body injury. Ivan Ivan was recalled for the still missing Gavin Brindley. Both combined for a goal in the Sharks game. Will that buy Ivan any favor to remain with the team?

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Ross Colton

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson

Ivan Ivan — Zakhar Bardakov — Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews — Cale Makar

Josh Manson — Brent Burns

Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski

Minnesota Wild​

It was a terrible start to the season for the Wild who had high expectations of contending within the Central Division. After going 10-1-1 in the month of a November with a current six-game win streak they are back within striking distance of at least second place in the division.

With his new record-setting contract Kirill Kaprizov has lived up to the hype leading the team with 28 points. Minnesota is also getting big contributions from Matt Boldy who now also has produced 28 points on the season.

The Wild defensive core is led by two young guns in 22-year-old Brock Faber and 19-year-old rookie Zeev Buium. They are also contributing with 15 and 11 points respectively. What makes the Wild dangerous is they have young impact talent all over the lineup including in net.

Projected Lineup

Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy

Marcus Foligno — Yakov Trenin — Nico Sturm

Liam Ohgren — Ben Jones — Tyler Pitlick

Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber

Jake Middleton — Jared Spurgeon

Zeev Buium — Zach Bogosian

Goaltenders​

Beginning yet another weekend back-to-back, it’s a safe assumption that both Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will split starts for the Avalanche over the next two games. Those contests are both matinees so no morning skate to provide any hints on who is in net. Presumably the “starter” will get this game since it’s an important divisional matchup instead of the Montreal game back at Ball Arena.

For the Wild, they’ve also been fortunate to have two hot goaltenders as well. Rookie 22-year-old Jesper Wallsted has put up some stellar numbers with a .935 save percentage and 1.94 goal against average to go with his 6-0-2 record including three shutouts. His partner Filip Gustavsson has performed better since as rocky start to begin the season. The Wild, like much of the league following the holiday, are on a back-to-back as well and have the same situation as Colorado with a good problem to have in choosing which goalie to go with. After Gustavsson started on Wednesday presumably Wallstedt gets in net for this big game.

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open-threads/59127/preview-avalanche-ready-to-down-wild-post-turkey

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Streak over as Avalanche lose 3-2 in shootout to Wild

The Colorado Avalanche’s impressive 10-game winning streak came to an end, though their 15-game point streak remains intact.

The Avs trailed by a goal until captain Gabe Landeskog redirected a rebound in the late third period to tie the game. Colorado controlled the pace in overtime and generated the better scoring opportunities, but ultimately fell 3-2 to the surging Minnesota Wild in the shootout with Matt Boldy securing the game winner.

The Game

Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring in the first period, notching his 19th goal of the season and 40th point overall against the red-hot Jesper Wallstedt, who had recorded three shutouts in his previous four starts. Despite the 1-0 Avalanche lead, it was a fairly even opening frame with Colorado edging in shots 14-12 and each team had an unsuccessful power play opportunity.

The Avalanche had to rally after Minnesota scored twice in the second period. Kirill Kaprizov converted both goals for the Wild six minutes a part. The contest developed into a captivating, back-and-forth offensive showcase, with both goaltenders—Wallstedt for Minnesota and Scott Wedgewood for Colorado—matching each other save for save with remarkable composure. After 40 minutes of play Minnesota held the 2-1 advantage.

It appeared that Colorado was on their way to their second regulation loss but MacKinnon set up Landeskog’s game-tying goal with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation, just moments after Landeskog had been down on the ice after taking a high stick. It was a highlight reel level of effort from Landeskog on that shift who was rewarded with the goal. As the game was tied 2-2, overtime was needed.

Evidently more than overtime was required to settle this game as neither team scored in the extra frame but Colorado created the only three shots on goal. In the shootout Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild while Martin Nečas converted for the Avalanche and Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s shots were saved to arrive at the 3-2 win for Minnesota.

Takeaways

As the saying goes, a point is a point. Colorado may well have been on the verge of a second regulation loss in this game, but the team refused to give in. Landeskog’s goal, and the way his teammates reacted, illustrates just how much he means to both the team and the organization. You can’t win them all.

Notably, it was a very disciplined game as only two minor penalties were issued, and neither power play was able to convert on their opportunities.

Wedgewood finished the night with 35 saves on 37 shots, but seemed exhausted during the shootout, which can happen if you’ve been in a tough matchup. Wallstedt, now 7-0-2 on the season, made 39 saves, including three crucial stops in the extra period.

Upcoming

No time to think about it any longer; we have another game to witness on Saturday. The Avalanche (17-1-6) take on the Montreal Canadiens (13-7-3). Coverage begins at 1 p.m. local time from Ball Arena.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...ver-as-avalanche-lose-3-2-in-shootout-to-wild

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Montréal Canadiens @ Colorado Avalanche (1:00 P.M.)

I regret to inform you, dear readers, that the Colorado Avalanche are not hockey gods of limitless skill and influence out to bend the NHL on a whim.

Being mere demigods with those capabilities will be just fine, and those skills will be put to the test against the visiting Montréal Canadiens this afternoon.

Colorado Avalanche (17-1-6)​

The Opponent: Montréal Canadiens (13-7-3)

Time: 1:00 P.M. MST/3:00 P.M. EST

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

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche had their ten-game winning streak come to an end in St. Paul on Friday, losing to the Minnesota Wild by a 3-2 shootout decision. Nathan MacKinnon scored his League-leading nineteenth goal of the season in the effort, and Gabe Landeskog scored a goal that was nothing short of heroic to tie game in the third period. Although they came up short in the loss, the point they earned made them the first team in the NHL to reach 40 points in the standings. Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 of 37 shots, with Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov scoring both goals for the Wild.

Coming into today’s game, the Avs remain atop the standings League-wide and in the Western Conference, and while Dallas and Minnesota picked up two points on Friday (Minnesota also hosts Buffalo tonight), a win today over Montréal would give Colorado three of a possible four points during another series of back-to-back games. The Avs have a 4-0-1 record thus far in back-to-back games this month, and another win today would go a long way in maintaining a healthy lead in the Central Division. Given how Dallas and Minnesota aren’t showing signs of slowing down, the Avs would do well to keep as much distance between themselves and the rest of the teams giving chase in the Central.

Today’s game is also the second game of the Heritage Series games as part of the Avalanche 30th anniversary season, which means that the powder blue Quebec Nordiques uniform kit will be on full display in this contest. The Avs previously wore these uniforms in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 23rd; Carolina also indulged in the nostalgia wave, opting to wear their former Hartford Whalers uniforms for the occasion. While the long-standing rivalry with Montréal now only exists in the history books, seeing the fleur-de-lis in action against a former division rival will certainly be fun and nostalgic experience in its own right.

Just don’t expect a re-enactment of the Good Friday Massacre when the puck drops later this afternoon.

Today’s game is the third game across four days for the Avalanche. Fitting, since their previous victory against Montréal (a 5-4 shootout decision at the Bell Centre on March 22) also took place on a Saturday when the Avs played their third game in four nights. With Wedgewood between the pipes on Friday, it’s likely that Mackenzie Blackwood will be in goal on Saturday afternoon.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Ross Colton
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta – Zakhar Bardakov – Ivan Ivan

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

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Montréal Canadiens​

After an impressive start that saw them win eight of their first eleven games this season, Montréal has endured some rough stretches throughout the month of November. They lost seven of eight games played over a three week period before stringing together a three game winning streak—including a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Friday evening—prior to today’s game against Colorado. They currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, only three points behind Tampa for the division lead.

The injury bug has bit Montréal over the past couple of weeks, as they’ve been missing some key personnel in their lineup. Former Avalanche center Alex Newhook underwent surgery for a fractured ankle he sustained in a game against the Dallas Stars on November 13, and will be out for four months. Prior to the injury, Newhook had been having a solid start to the season, recording six goals and six assists for twelve points on the season. Center Kirby Dach will also miss four to six weeks with a fractured foot.

Defenseman Kaiden Guhle underwent surgery for a partially torn adductor muscle on November 13 and is expected to miss between eight to ten weeks. Right wing Patrik Laine also had surgery in late October for a core muscle injury and is expected to miss between three to four months. These injuries have stunted what was a promising start to the season for Montréal, who had been looking to build on a solid 2024-2025 campaign that saw them finish with a 40-31-7 record (a marked improvement over their 30-36-8 finish the year before) and the team’s first playoff berth since the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season that saw Montréal make their first appearance in a Stanley Cup Final since 1993.

Defenseman Lane Hutson had a breakout season last year, scoring six goals and recording sixty(!) assists during his rookie campaign. He currently leads all Montréal defensemen in points (19), which in itself is good for third overall in team scoring. His performance has certainly boosted expectations as he enters his second full season on the Montréal blue line. Noah Dobson, acquired in an offseason sign-and-trade deal with the New York Islanders, ranks second in points for defensemen (16), which also ranks him second in team assists. Mike Matheson, fresh off a five-year, $30 million dollar contract extension signed on Friday, leads all defensemen in goals (4) and ranks third in points by defensemen (15).

Cole Caufield leads Montréal in goals (14), and his 25 points rank second on the team behind captain Nick Suzuki (27). Left wing Juraj Slafkovský, the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is tied with Suzuki and center Oliver Kapanen for second place in team goal scoring (7).

Montréal has won three of its past four matchups against Colorado, with their most recent victory coming on home ice back on January 04 (a 2-1 shootout decision).

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zack Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovský – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher

Defense:
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier

Between the Pipes:
Jakub Dobeš
Sam Montembeault

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/open...montreal-canadiens-colorado-avalanche-100-p-m

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Recap: Avalanche Rout Montreal 7-2

DENVER — Brock Nelson delivered a commanding performance Saturday at Ball Arena, putting up two goals and two assists as the Avalanche rolled past the Montreal Canadiens in a decisive 7–2 win.

Gabriel Landeskog added two goals of his own, while Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews each chipped in one. In net, Mackenzie Blackwood made 17 saves. Martin Nečas recorded three assists, and Artturi Lehkonen added two more. With the victory, the Avalanche improved to a league-leading 18-1-6 record.

Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson scored for the Canadiens, while Jakub Dobeš made 29 saves in the loss.

First Period

From the opening puck drop, the afternoon belonged to Nelson. After sitting for a high-sticking minor at 16:10—a kill backstopped by key saves from Blackwood—Nelson returned with a renewed focus Lehkonen sent a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone, finding Nelson in stride. He ripped a crisp wrist shot past Dobeš’ glove for his 600th career point.

Moments later, it looked like Nelson had scored again. As he released his shot, Landeskog was shoved into the crease by Josh Anderson. Montreal challenged for goalie interference, but the initial review upheld the goal, noting that Anderson’s push caused the collision.

However, a more detailed league review later revealed that Landeskog barely touched the puck after Nelson’s shot, meaning Landeskog was credited with the goal. Fitting after so many of his have been called back this season. Thus, the Avalanche carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Second Period

It didn’t take long for Colorado to strike in the second frame as off a clean faceoff win by Nelson, Burns hammered a shot through Landeskog’s screen to extend the lead. The tally—Burns’ 264th—moved him into a tie with Nicklas Lidström for ninth all-time among defensemen in goals.

Nelson wasn’t done. After being denied on a breakaway, he watched Nečas collect the rebound and send it right back to him for his second goal. Fans who didn’t hear the earlier scoring change mistakenly thought Nelson had completed a hat trick and tossed hats onto the ice—an amusing moment on a dominant night.

Montreal briefly pushed back when Juraj Slafkovský spun and found Matvei Demidov for a tap-in to make it 4–1. But Colorado quickly reasserted control.

During a 4-on-4 sequence caused by matching minors to Oliver Kapanen and Nečas, the Avalanche executed a perfectly timed play. Cale Makar floated a soft touch pass to let Landeskog tag up at the blue line. Landeskog fired a low shot off Dobeš’ pads, and MacKinnon buried the rebound for a 5–1 lead to conclude the scoring in the second period.

Third Period

The contest was over at that point but at 2:51 of the third, Nečas feathered a pass to Toews, who punched in his first of the season to make it 6–1, although he would quickly find himself in the penalty box for slashing. Montreal responded with a “thank you” as Lane Hutson scored on the power play, but the Avs responded back right away.

With Jake Evans in the box for high-sticking MacKinnon, Landeskog redirected a rebound on the power play for his second goal of the game and for the 7-2 Colorado finish.

Next Game

The Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena on Wednesday, December 2. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...erage/59932/recap-avalanche-rout-montreal-7-2

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: The Avs Meet Montréal in a Saturday Matinee Matchup

I regret to inform you, dear readers, that the Colorado Avalanche are not hockey gods of limitless skill and influence out to bend the NHL on a whim.

Being mere demigods with those capabilities will be just fine, and those skills will be put to the test against the visiting Montréal Canadiens this afternoon.

Colorado Avalanche (17-1-6)​

The Opponent: Montréal Canadiens (13-7-3)

Time: 1:00 P.M. MST/3:00 P.M. EST

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

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

The Avalanche had their ten-game winning streak come to an end in St. Paul on Friday, losing to the Minnesota Wild by a 3-2 shootout decision. Nathan MacKinnon scored his League-leading nineteenth goal of the season in the effort, and Gabe Landeskog scored a goal that was nothing short of heroic to tie the game in the third period. Although they came up short in the loss, the point they earned made them the first team in the NHL to reach 40 points in the standings. Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 of 37 shots, with Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov scoring both goals for the Wild.

Coming into today’s game, the Avs remain atop the standings League-wide and in the Western Conference, and while Dallas and Minnesota picked up two points on Friday (Minnesota also hosts Buffalo tonight), a win today over Montréal would give Colorado three of a possible four points during another series of back-to-back games. The Avs have a 4-0-1 record thus far in back-to-back games this month, and another win today would go a long way in maintaining a healthy lead in the Central Division. Given how Dallas and Minnesota aren’t showing signs of slowing down, the Avs would do well to keep as much distance between themselves and the rest of the teams giving chase in the Central.

Today’s game is also the second game of the Heritage Series games as part of the Avalanche 30th anniversary season, which means that the powder blue Quebec Nordiques uniform kit will be on full display in this contest. The Avs previously wore these uniforms in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on October 23rd; Carolina also indulged in the nostalgia wave, opting to wear their former Hartford Whalers uniforms for the occasion. While the long-standing rivalry with Montréal now only exists in the history books, seeing the fleur-de-lis in action against a former division rival will certainly be fun and nostalgic in its own right.

Just don’t expect a re-enactment of the Good Friday Massacre when the puck drops later this afternoon.

Today’s game is the third game across four days for the Avalanche. Fitting, since their previous victory against Montréal (a 5-4 shootout decision at the Bell Centre on March 22) also took place on a Saturday when the Avs played their third game in four nights. With Wedgewood between the pipes on Friday, it’s likely that Mackenzie Blackwood will be in goal on Saturday afternoon.

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Ross Colton
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta – Zakhar Bardakov – Ivan Ivan

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

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Montréal Canadiens​

After an impressive start that saw them win eight of their first eleven games this season, Montréal has endured some rough stretches throughout the month of November. They lost seven of eight games played over a three week period before stringing together a three game winning streak—including a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Friday evening—prior to today’s game against Colorado. They currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, only three points behind Tampa for the division lead.

The injury bug has bit Montréal over the past couple of weeks, as they’ve been missing some key personnel in their lineup. Former Avalanche center Alex Newhook underwent surgery for a fractured ankle he sustained in a game against the Dallas Stars on November 13, and will be out for four months. Prior to the injury, Newhook had been having a solid start to the season, recording six goals and six assists for twelve points on the season. Center Kirby Dach will also miss four to six weeks with a fractured foot.

Defenseman Kaiden Guhle underwent surgery for a partially torn adductor muscle on November 13 and is expected to miss between eight to ten weeks. Right wing Patrik Laine also had surgery in late October for a core muscle injury and is expected to miss between three to four months. These injuries have stunted what was a promising start to the season for Montréal, who had been looking to build on a solid 2024-2025 campaign that saw them finish with a 40-31-7 record (a marked improvement over their 30-36-8 finish the year before) and the team’s first playoff berth since the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season that saw Montréal make their first appearance in a Stanley Cup Final since 1993.

Defenseman Lane Hutson had a breakout season last year, scoring six goals and recording sixty(!) assists during his rookie campaign. He currently leads all Montréal defensemen in points (19), which in itself is good for third overall in team scoring. His performance has certainly boosted expectations as he enters his second full season on the Montréal blue line. Noah Dobson, acquired in an offseason sign-and-trade deal with the New York Islanders, ranks second in points for defensemen (16), which also ranks him second in team assists. Mike Matheson, fresh off a five-year, $30 million dollar contract extension signed on Friday, leads all defensemen in goals (4) and ranks third in points by defensemen (15).

Cole Caufield leads Montréal in goals (14), and his 25 points rank second on the team behind captain Nick Suzuki (27). Left wing Juraj Slafkovský, the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is tied with Suzuki and center Oliver Kapanen for second place in team goal scoring (7).

Montréal has won three of its past four matchups against Colorado, with their most recent victory coming on home ice back on January 04 (a 2-1 shootout decision).

Projected Lineup​

Forwards:
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zack Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovský – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher

Defense:
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier

Between the Pipes:
Jakub Dobeš
Sam Montembeault

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...s-meet-montreal-in-a-saturday-matinee-matchup

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Preview: Avalanche ready to down Wild (post) Turkey

It’s the first matchup of the year between Central division rivals Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. Both teams have enjoyed strong play lately with extended win streaks as they currently hold playoff positions. Can we expect a spirited game between these two teams during this busy holiday weekend of post-turkey shopping?

Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5)​

The Opponent: Minnesota Wild (13-7-4)

Time: 1:30 p.m. MT

Watch: Altitude, Altitude+, ESPN+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche​

Not only have the Avalanche won 10 games in row they are now riding a three-game shutout streak. It’s not a question of who will hand Colorado their second regulation loss on the season but who is going to score a goal on this team?

Not surprisingly the stars are leading the way for the Avalanche with Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas and Cale Makar all with 30 points and are top-ten in the NHL for scoring. Inexplicably Makar has yet to score a power play goal this season, though MacKinnon cashed in on the man advantage in the previous game at least.

Joel Kiviranta entered the lineup last game after missing 17 contests with a lower body injury. Ivan Ivan was recalled for the still missing Gavin Brindley. Both combined for a goal in the Sharks game. Will that buy Ivan any favor to remain with the team?

Projected Lineup

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas

Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Ross Colton

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson

Ivan Ivan — Zakhar Bardakov — Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews — Cale Makar

Josh Manson — Brent Burns

Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski

Minnesota Wild​

It was a terrible start to the season for the Wild who had high expectations of contending within the Central Division. After going 10-1-1 in the month of a November with a current six-game win streak they are back within striking distance of at least second place in the division.

With his new record-setting contract Kirill Kaprizov has lived up to the hype leading the team with 28 points. Minnesota is also getting big contributions from Matt Boldy who now also has produced 28 points on the season.

The Wild defensive core is led by two young guns in 22-year-old Brock Faber and 19-year-old rookie Zeev Buium. They are also contributing with 15 and 11 points respectively. What makes the Wild dangerous is they have young impact talent all over the lineup including in net.

Projected Lineup

Kirill Kaprizov — Danila Yurov — Mats Zuccarello

Marcus Johansson — Joel Eriksson Ek — Matt Boldy

Marcus Foligno — Yakov Trenin — Nico Sturm

Liam Ohgren — Ben Jones — Tyler Pitlick

Jonas Brodin — Brock Faber

Jake Middleton — Jared Spurgeon

Zeev Buium — Zach Bogosian

Goaltenders​

Beginning yet another weekend back-to-back, it’s a safe assumption that both Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood will split starts for the Avalanche over the next two games. Those contests are both matinees so no morning skate to provide any hints on who is in net. Presumably the “starter” will get this game since it’s an important divisional matchup instead of the Montreal game back at Ball Arena.

For the Wild, they’ve also been fortunate to have two hot goaltenders as well. Rookie 22-year-old Jesper Wallsted has put up some stellar numbers with a .935 save percentage and 1.94 goal against average to go with his 6-0-2 record including three shutouts. His partner Filip Gustavsson has performed better since as rocky start to begin the season. The Wild, like much of the league following the holiday, are on a back-to-back as well and have the same situation as Colorado with a good problem to have in choosing which goalie to go with. After Gustavsson started on Wednesday presumably Wallstedt gets in net for this big game.

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...view-avalanche-ready-to-down-wild-post-turkey

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Weekly Cupcakes – Blackwood trying to prove critics wrong

Colorado Avalanche News

• The Colorado Avalanche handily beat the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. [Global News]

• Trophy Tracker: MacKinnon favorite to win Hart after scorching start for Avalanche. [NHL]

• The Colorado Avalanche have what it takes to break NHL record. [The Hockey News]
• Sunday Overreactions: Can Avalanche shatter all-time points record? [Sportsnet]
• Colorado Avalanche may be historically good. [The Hockey Writers]

• Blackwood delivers the perfect response to critics. [The Hockey News]

• Butterfly posture getting closer look from team due to injury impact on hips. [NHL]
• Romanov has shoulder surgery, out 5-6 months for Islanders. [AP News]
• Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri suffers torn ACL, out six to eight months. [Sportsnet]
• Messier to help showcase GAME 7 brand, apparel at NHL Shop NYC. [NHL]
• Mitch Marner’s Toronto to Vegas transition has hit a rough patch. [NHL Trade Talk]

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/dail...cakes-blackwood-trying-to-prove-critics-wrong

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche vs. San Jose Sharks (7:00 p.m. MT)

Blackhawks, both of whom Colorado earned shutouts against in their wins, they return home to Colorado today to take on the San Jose Sharks. This will be the second of three regular-season matchups between these two teams, with San Jose having won the first game.

Colorado Avalanche (16-1-5)​

Funnily enough, the Avalanche’s last loss was against the Sharks way back on November 1. Flash forward almost a month, and Colorado has now won nine straight games after that OT loss, and tonight they look to win their tenth straight. Whatever the situation might be in any game, the Avs just keep finding ways to win, over and over again. You can certainly make the argument that they didn’t play their best against Nashville or Chicago on the most recent back-to-back, but when both your goalies put up shutouts, and you win games 3-0 and 1-0 respectively, it’s really tough to complain. After all, they don’t ask how, they just ask how many. Guys have been stepping up all across the lineup, and you should expect the same here tonight.

Projected Lineup​

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Necas
Ross Colton – Brock Nelson – Gabriel Landeskog
Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Victor Olofsson
Ivan Ivan – Zakhar Bardakov – Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Samuel Girard – Sam Malinski

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

San Jose Sharks (11-9-3)​

This San Jose team has arguably been one of the best stories of the NHL season so far. Everyone knew that they certainly had talent throughout their lineup, but I don’t think anyone expected them to be sitting just two points out of a wild-card spot for the playoffs. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have been extremely good for this Sharks team to start the year, and they look like they’re going to be a problem for the league for years to come in just their second year in the NHL.

Projected Lineup​

William Eklund – Macklin Celebrini – Will Smith
Philipp Kurashev – Alexander Wennberg – Tyler Toffoli
Adam Gaudette – Ty Dellandrea – Collin Graf
Barclay Goodrow – Zack Ostapchuk – Ryan Reaves

Dmitry Orlov – Timothy Liljegren
Mario Ferraro – Shakir Mukhamadullin
Sam Dickinson – Vincent Desharnais

Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic

Follow along in the comments below!

Source: https://www.milehighhockey.com/colo...orado-avalanche-vs-san-jose-sharks-700-p-m-mt