Avalanche Game 15 vs Carolina Hurricanes, Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (6-8-0) are back home to commence a four-game homestand against another one of the NHL’s best teams, the Carolina Hurricanes (10-2-0). Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.

The Avs put in arguably their best game of the season in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Despite failing to score, there was a lot of good you take from that game. For starters, I can’t express enough how much more dangerous the top line feels at 5-on-5 with Artturi Lehkonen back in the lineup. No disrespect to Joel Kiviranta and Ross Colton, but there’s something about the way Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen feed off of Lehkonen that elevates their game. That trio was exceptional against the Jets, and they’ll likely need to be as good against Carolina to get back in the winning column.

More importantly for the Avs, Alexandar Georgiev had a great performance — easily his best of the season. If he could build off of that game, and Justus Annunen could continue to play decent, then head coach Jared Bednar will go back to having two solid options. And it’ll come just in time for the lineup to hopefully keep adding guys back without facing any other injuries.

Carolina enters the game riding a crazy eight-game winning streak. Their new-look defense, which includes Shayne Ghostisbehere and former Avs blueliner Sean Walker, has been great. With both Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce walking as free agents, the Canes had work to do over the summer and found the right duo to replace them. Martin Necas leads the team with 21 points in 12 games, which is eight more than the next guy. He’s been spectacular to start the season and will probably see a lot of ice time against Cale Makar and Devon Toews.

This part might make Avs faithful insanely jealous. But, the Hurricanes have used the same 18 skaters in each of their first 12 games. No injuries. No suspensions. Not even a healthy scratch. The same 12 forwards and six defensemen who started on opening night have dressed in each and every game they’ve played this year. It’s no wonder they’ve won 10 of their first 12.

READ MORE: ‘I Don’t Think It’s Anything Unexpected:’ The Latest on Gabriel Landeskog

Season Series

• Nov.9 vs Carolina Hurricanes
• Dec. 5 at Carolina Hurricanes

Avalanche Injuries

• Miles Wood (upper body, IR)
• Ross Colton (foot, 6-8 weeks)
• Jonathan Drouin (upper body, day-to-day)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
• Valeri Nichushkin (suspended, expected back Nov. 15)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Joel Kiviranta— Casey Mittelstadt — Logan O’Connor
Ivan Ivan – Parker Kelly – Nikolai Kovalenko
Nikita Prishchepov — T.J. Tynan — Chris Wagner

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
John Ludvig — Sam Malinski

Alexandar Georgiev
Justus Annunen

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Alexandar Georgiev (COL)
• Confirmed: Spencer Martin (CAR)

Upcoming Milestones

• Mikko Rantanen – needs 4 power-play goals for 100
• Nathan MacKinnon — needs 5 power-play goals for 100
• Devon Toews — needs 6 assists for 200
• Josh Manson — needs 8 games for 600
• Cale Makar — needs 9 goals for 100

How to Watch