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The Colorado Avalanche (30-21-2) play their last home game before the 4 Nations Faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers (23-24-6) in a matinee matchup. Puck drop is scheduled for 1:08 p.m. MT.
READ MORE: Rantanen Deal Signals Change: Why MacFarland Should Be Rewarded With Patience (+)
The Avs wanted to treat their last stretch of games before the break like it were the playoffs. Mission accomplished against the Blues on Friday. They shut them out 5-0 and imposed their will right from the opening draw.
They hope to continue that against the Flyers in their last game at Ball Arena until late February. Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 19 saves against St. Louis, is back between the pipes looking to win two straight for the first time in a few weeks. He’ll likely be backed up by Trent Miner following Scott Wedgewood’s absence from Saturday’s practice.
Blackwood and the Avs haven’t strung together two consecutive victories since Dec. 31 and Jan. 2. They’ll get a big opportunity to do that against a team riding a two-game losing streak.
Martin Necas has been excellent in his first four games and scored against the Blues — his first goal with Colorado. The forward is riding a three-game point streak and has helped revive a struggling power play.
But he’s not the only new forward making his mark. Jack Drury, playing on a line with Ross Colton and Miles Wood, has been a pleasant surprise. He fits what the team does and gives them added depth in the bottom six. Drury has two goals in four games.
READ MORE: Avalanche Had ‘No Passengers and No Lapses’ Against the Blues (+)
Not only have they lost two straight, but the Flyers enter this matchup without a goal in consecutive games. They lost 5-0 and 3-0 to the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.
This will also be their first game since trading Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier. Kuzmenko is a former KHL teammate of young forward Matvei Michkov. The two will be reunited, albeit in a John Tortorella system.
This will also be the second time that Erik Johnson returns to Ball Arena since leaving as a free agent in 2023. EJ has dressed in just 18 games this season but likely will play against the Avs.
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Season Series
- Nov. 18 at Philadelphia Flyers (W, 3-2)
- Feb. 2 vs Philadelphia Flyers
Avalanche Injuries
- Valeri Nichushkin (lower body, week-to-week)
- Oliver Kylington (upper body, nearing return)
- Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Jonathan Drouin — Casey Mittelstadt — Juuso Parssinen
Miles Wood – Jack Drury – Ross Colton
Joel Kiviranta — Parker Kelly — Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Keaton Middleton — Sam Malinski
Mackenzie Blackwood
Trent Miner
Projected Starters (subject to change)
- Expected: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
- Unconfirmed: Ivan Fedotov (PHI)
Upcoming Milestones
- Nathan MacKinnon — needs 4 PPG for 100
- Logan O’Connor — needs 4 points for 100
- Miles Wood — needs 5 games for 500
- Cale Makar — needs 7 points for 400
- Mackenzie Blackwood — needs 8 wins for 100
How to Watch
- TV: Altitude Sports
- Radio: 92.5 FM
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