Avalanche Eye Payback Against the Toronto Maple Leafs
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With a four-game road trip that will see the Colorado Avalanche face three Canadian teams, the Colorado Avalanche start their first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are looking for some revenge after they lost 6-3 in their last matchup.
Though the Avalanche will have some “better” odds, the Maple Leafs are dealing with multiple injuries, leading to a 5-5-0 record in their last 10. Currently on a homestand, they are 0-3-0, having been shut out by the New Jersey Devils and losing to the Montreal Canadiens and the Utah Mammoth.
The Avalanche are coming off an impressive game all-around against the Detroit Red Wings, which saw them win a 4-0 shutout, in which pretty much everything performed up to expectations, especially the power play that scored three times in five attempts.
The biggest factor is that despite a scary report of Cale Makar leaving practice early and having to call up Alex Gagné, Makar is good to go tonight and will make Gagné wait before the rookie makes his NHL debut.
On the other hand, the Leafs will be out Kirill Marchenko, Morgan Rielly, Nick Blackenburg, Marshall Rifai, and Colton Sissons. However, after being “load-managed” in their matchup against the Devils, Chris Tanev will be back in the lineup. Ryan Tverberg has been called up as well to round out the second line.
Preparing For A Clash Between Goaltenders.
Sergei Bobrovsky will draw in net tonight, and he looked really good in their 6-3 win against the Avalanche, stopping 30 of 33 shots he faced, but he has looked shaky in his recent outings.
MacKenzie Blackwood gets a chance to redeem himself after his last outing against the Maple Leafs, which has arguably been his worst performance of the season after he allowed five goals on 22 shots, saving only 17. After stopping all 27 shots he faced against the Red Wings, he now carries a save percentage over .900 for the first time this season.
Projected Avalanche Lines (Subject to Change)
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Nazem Kadri — Nicolas Roy
Jaden Schwartz — Brock Nelson — T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly — Fedor Svechkov — Logan O’Connor
Brett Kulak — Cale Makar
Devon Toews — Sam Malinski
Noah Juulsen — Brent Burns
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Projected Starters (Subject to Change)
- Expected: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
- Confirmed: Sergei Bobrovsky (TOR)
Puck drop is scheduled for 5PM MST.
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Stefano Rubino is a sports journalist based outside Toronto, Canada, and a hockey writer covering multiple teams for The Hockey News, as well as the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings for Sports Illustrated. When he is not watching last night's highlights or minor league games, or writing game notes, you can find him listening to music while he works out or playing video games.