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The Avalanche face off against the Dallas Stars at 2 p.m. MT in their first afternoon game of the season. The team plays another matinee against the Minnesota Wild on Monday.
The typical routine for an NHL player on game days when the start time is at least 6 p.m. begins with meetings, a morning skate, and workout. There is an afternoon nap, then a pregame meal, and back at the rink at least two hours before scheduled puck drop.
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“It’s different preparation. So today you should already be thinking about it, probably a little bit more. And then when you wake up and you get set, your mind’s already going to be going to the game, so a little bit different preparation,” head coach Jared Bednar said after practice on Friday. “I don’t think the guys change their routines much when they get to the rink.”
Mackenzie Blackwood said day games are not necessarily more difficult than night games. Having a good night’s sleep before a day game is most important. Players get to the rink early and start their preparation for the game.
“You just have to make sure you get yourself woken up, get a good breakfast and good warm-up in. And I think once you get in the game, it’s the same,” Blackwood said.
The Avs need to be mentally prepared to compete against a very good Dallas Stars team. They are third in the Central Division and two points ahead of Colorado.
“They’re a deep team. They play the right way. They keep coming in waves, and they forecheck hard. They shoot pucks and tips and screens. And they got some good skill too. They’re gonna be a good test, a good opponent for us,” the 28-year-old netminder said.
Colorado suffered a tough loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night after having a 3-0 lead. It was a full practice at Family Sports on Friday and energy was high. Seems to be good preparation ahead of a 2 p.m. start on Saturday.
“I love the afternoon game. I think there’s a little excitement around an afternoon game, that you’re going to go leave it all on the ice and still be able to get out of there and get some rest without pushing through those late starts like last night, so I think our guys like it. I think you know we should come out with a real good effort tomorrow,” Bednar said.
The Avs had one of their best starts this season against the Oilers and look to duplicate that on Saturday afternoon. There wasn’t anything different in preparation other than the anticipation of facing a highly skilled team. Bednar said his team looks to improve its game management “to not make it so one-sided.”
The Avalanche coach has shifted some players around the last few games and confirmed he will start Ross Colton on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. He had moved Rantanen to the second line the last two games so he may go back to that if the top lines struggle to produce.
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