Avalanche Game 18 vs Washington Capitals: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (9-8-0) finish a four-game homestand against the Washington Capitals (10-4-1) on Friday night with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. The Caps are three points ahead of the Avs and superstar Alex Ovechkin is on a tear to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s career record of 894 goals.

The Avalanche have won their last three games and only lost one since Artturi Lehkonen’s return. Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood will play per head coach Jared Bednar. The trio brings much-needed reinforcements to the team.

“It’s going to change a lot because everything changes — power plays, penalty kills, five-on-five lines, for the most part,” Bednar said after morning skate. “So it’s exciting because we get a lot of the offensive firepower and guys that are difference makers, five-on-five and on special teams back in the lineups. It’s going to change a lot of things.”

Mikko Rantanen scored a natural hat trick and Artturi Lehkonen added another goal for the Avalanche in the 4-2 win over the L.A. Kings on Wednesday.

Bednar has stuck with starting Alexandar Georgiev the last three games but confirmed he is going with Justus Annunen vs the Caps.

Washington sits in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and is 30th on the power play with a 20% power play percentage on the road. On the flip side, the Avs face a tough penalty kill team with a 92.9 PK%.

Washington is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Capital One Arena on Wednesday night. Logan Thompson made 30 saves on 34 shots but the Caps couldn’t close the deal in OT.

Read More: Coach Jared Bednar Confident in Avalanche Goaltending

Season Series

• Nov. 15 vs Washington Capitals
• Nov. 21 at Washington Capitals

Avalanche Injuries

• Ross Colton (foot, 6-8 weeks)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
• Alexandar Georgiev (upper-body, day-to-day)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Jonathan Drouin — Casey Mittelstadt — Valeri Nichushkin
Miles Wood — Parker Kelly — Logan O’Connor
Joel Kiviranta — Ivan Ivan — Nikolai Kovalenko

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

Justus Annunen
Trent Miner

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Justus Annunen (COL)
• Unconfirmed: Charlie Lindgren (WAS)

Upcoming Milestones

• A win tonight would mark the first time since relocation the Avalanche beat the Capitals five times in a row

How to Watch

• TV: Altitude 2 and KTVD My20 Denver
• Radio: 92.5 Altitude Radio