Avalanche Game 11 vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (5-5-0) are set to host the Tampa Bay Lightning (6-3-0) in the finale of a three-game homestand. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.

This might be the toughest game the Avs have played this season. Not only are they finally facing a 2024 playoff team again for the first time in seven games, but they’ll do it without six of their top 10 forwards. Already missing Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Drouin, and Artturi Lehkonen, the Avs also lost Ross Colton to a foot injury and Miles Wood to an upper-body injury in Monday’s 5-2 loss to Chicago.

Colton is expected to be out for a while and Wood is day to day.

The Avs are also turning to goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, who will make his debut with Colorado after being claimed off waivers three weeks ago. Kahkonen played two games for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on a conditioning assignment last week and stopped 57-of-62 shots.

The Lightning are coming off a 3-2 OT victory over the Nashville Predators in Steven Stamkos’ return to Amalie Arena. They are 6-3-0 entering tonight’s matchup and outside of a bad loss to Toronto last week, they’ve been off to an impressive start. Six Lightning forwards are a point-per-game or better through nine games.

READ MORE: Takeaways From The Avalanche’s First 10 Games of the Season (CHN+)

Season Series

• Oct. 30 vs Tampa Bay Lightning
• Nov. 25 at Tampa Bay Lightning

Avalanche Injuries

• Ross Colton (foot, TBD)
• Jonathan Drouin (upper body, day-to-day)
• Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder, day-to-day)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
• Valeri Nichushkin (suspended until at least Nov. 13)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Ivan Ivan — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Nikolai Kovalenko — Casey Mittelstadt — Logan O’Connor
T.J. Tynan– Parker Kelly – Joel Kiviranta
Oliver Kylington — Chris Wagner — Matt Stienburg

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Calvin de Haan — Sam Malinski

Kaapo Kahkonen
Alexandar Georgiev

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Kaapo Kahkonen (COL)
• Unconfirmed: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)

Upcoming Milestones

• Mikko Rantanen – needs 6 power-play goals for 100
• Devon Toews — needs 7 assists for 200

How to Watch