Avalanche Game 34 at San Jose Sharks, Georgiev vs Blackwood! Lines, Notes, & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (18-15-0) begin a back-to-back in California on Thursday with their second meeting of the season against the San Jose Sharks (11-18-5). Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. MT.

READ MORE: Pressing Needs: Avalanche’s Bottom Six Needs Help

The Avalanche are coming off an uninspiring performance in a 3-1 loss in Vancouver. Granted, the team has been dealing with an illness making its way through the dressing room. Head coach Jared Bednar said early Thursday morning on Altitude Sports Radio that the team is almost over it.

The Canucks were struggling on home ice before the Avs came in and let in three goals before finding the back of the net with just 45 seconds remaining. Thatcher Demko nearly shut out the Avs while Mackenzie Blackwood, in his second start since being acquired, again only let in two goals, this time in a losing effort.

Blackwood is back in net again and ready to face his former team. He’ll go up against Alexandar Georgiev.

The two goalies were traded for each other in a seven-piece trade just 10 days ago. Georgiev struggled mightily with the Avalanche to start the season and, along with Nikolai Kovalenko and two draft picks, was sent to San Jose for Blackwood, Givani Smith, and a draft pick.

Blackwood and Georgiev are both 1-1-0 with their new clubs although Blackwood has a .937 save percentage while Georgiev is .868.

Both goalies are likely motivated to get a win over their former teams. But they were both dealt under entirely different circumstances.

For Blackwood, an eventual trade seemed inevitable. He was only brought to San Jose to reignite his career — which he successfully did. The pending unrestricted free agent was destined to be traded to a playoff team because the Sharks, a rebuilding team, aren’t expected to make the postseason this year.

San Jose also has another veteran goalie in Vitek Vanecek as well as young up-and-coming star netminder Yaroslav Askarov waiting in the wings. Askarov is going to back Georgiev since Vanecek recently suffered an injury.

Georgiev’s trade struck him a little bit differently. He was ultimately a goalie that a team hoping to contend for a Stanley Cup decided to offload because they lost trust in him. Georgiev didn’t want to leave Colorado and was still hopeful to sign a new deal with the club at some point between now and next season.

But that’s all in the past. The highly motivated 28-year-old is very likely going to put in his best performance of the season. He probably has this game circled on his calendar a whole heck of a lot more than Blackwood does.

Kovalenko has also enjoyed a breakout since the trade. The 25-year-old rookie has five assists in four games while playing a bigger role with San Jose. Albeit Kovalenko’s ice-time is still about the same as it was in Denver.

San Jose enters the matchup riding a two-game losing streak and is in last place in the Pacific Division. Its -28 goal differential is the worst in the league.

Season Series

• Oct. 20 at San Jose Sharks (W, 4-1)
• Dec. 19 at San Jose Sharks
• March 6 vs San Jose Sharks

Avalanche Injuries

• Josh Manson (upper body, could return this week)
• Oliver Kylington (upper body, week-to-week)
• Miles Wood (upper body, LTIR)
• Jonathan Drouin (upper body, week-to-week)
• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)

READ MORE: Power Play Falls Apart in Avalanche’s Latest Loss

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Ross Colton — Casey Mittelstadt — Valeri Nichushkin
Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Logan O’Connor
Givani Smith — Ivan Ivan — Chris Wagner

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski
Keaton Middleton — Calvin de Haan

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Projected Starters (subject to change)

• Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
• Confirmed: Alexandar Georgiev (SJS)

Upcoming Milestones

• Mikko Rantanen — needs 3 PPG for 100
• Nathan MacKinnon — needs 4 PPG for 100
• Cale Makar — needs 5 goals for 100
• Logan O’Connor — needs 4 games for 300
• Chris Wagner — needs 5 games for 400
• Devon Toews — needs 6 assists for 200

How to Watch

• TV: Altitude Sports
• Radio: 92.5 FM