Game 22 vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Lines, Notes & How to Watch

After a solid showing in South Florida, the Avalanche traveled a few hours north to face the Lightning in Tampa Bay on Monday night. This will be the teams’ second and final regular-season matchup.

Mikko Rantanen notched four points (1G, 3A) in the 7-4 win over the reigning Stanley Cup Champions on Saturday. He has been on fire with 17 points in the last nine games, earning him the NHL’s Second Star of the Week.

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Five other Avs players contributed goals in the win. Jonathan Drouin scored two — his first and second of the season. Logan O’Connor and Sam Girard netted their second goals while Valeri Nichushkin and Oliver Kylington scored their first.

Alexandar Georgiev faced a tough offensive team and allowed four goals on 31 shots. It was his fifth consecutive win — which is the longest active streak for a goalie in the league this season.

The Bolts are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday night and split overtime games to sub-par teams (a 7-6 OT loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and a 3-2 OT win over the Pittsburgh Penguins) the two before.

Three Avalanche players sit in the league’s top 10 for points: No. 1 — Nathan MacKinnon (35), No. 4 — Rantanen (32) and No. 8 — Cale Makar (30). Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov is ninth with 29 points.

The only change to expect against the Lightning is in net. According to Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano, Justus Annunen will start between the pipes.

“I think we’re pretty happy with the lineup we’re playing now. We’re getting contributions from all four lines and six-plus defensemen. We just want to continue to refine our game and get better and better as the season goes on,” head coach Jared Bednar said after the victory over the Florida Panthers.

Colorado has won its last three and would sweep the road trip with a win at Amalie Arena Monday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. MT.

Season Series

• Oct. 30 vs. Tampa Bay (L, 5-2)
• Nov. 25 at Tampa Bay

Avalanche Injuries

• Ross Colton (foot, 6-8 weeks)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

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

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Oliver Kylington — Sam Malinski

Justus Annunen
Alexandar Georgiev

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Unconfirmed: Justus Annunen (COL)
• Unconfirmed: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TAM)

Upcoming Milestones

• Mikko Rantanen needs 3 power-play goals for 100
• Jonathan Drouin needs 2 goals for 100

How to Watch

• TV: Altitude 2
• Radio: 92.5 Altitude Radio

More Avalanche News

• Deen’s Daily: Joe Thornton’s Epic Retirement Night; Drouin, Nichushkin, Kylington Break Through
• Good & Bad: Full Team Effort in Avalanche Win
• No Better Time for an Avalanche Road Trip
• Notebook: What’s Going On With Mikko Rantanen’s Contract Extension Talks?