Deen’s Daily: World Juniors Opening Day Round Up; Avalanche’s Next Home Game

Another quiet day in the NHL world — the third and final day of the holiday break. But Sixteen teams are back in action tonight and things are starting to ramp up.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avalanche are back at it tonight as they head on the road to take on Utah Hockey Club. Colorado is riding a three-game winning streak and looks to avenge a home loss to Utah earlier in the month.

But the game to keep an eye on is the one that follows. After the one-day trip to Utah, the Avs have three days off again before hosting the Winnipeg Jets on New Year’s Eve. Here’s why that game is crucial for Colorado entering the new year.

Around the NHL

World Junior Championship: The World Juniors began on Thursday with four games, neither of which had a surprising result. First, Sweden defeated Slovakia 5-2 led by Axel Sandin Pellikka’s natural hat trick. Team USA had a resounding 10-4 triumph over Germany in the next game. Then, Czechia got one over Switzerland, winning 5-1 before Team Canada capped off the day with a 4-0 shutout over Finland.

Top Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie centered the top line but did not record a point. He was flanked by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and Carolina Hurricanes prospect Bradley Nadeau. Cowan scored an unassisted goal in the second period. Ritchie is an alternate captain for the Canadians and one of the older players on the roster as a 2023 draft pick.

San Jose Hockey Now: The Sharks host the Vegas Golden Knights in the late game tonight. Here’s an update on the injury status of forward William Eklund. Also, if you’re a CHN+ member, our team in San Jose has two paywall stories worth checking out. Friendly reminder that subscribing to CHN+ grants you access to all paywall content for the other websites in the National Hockey Now Network.

The first is a feature on goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who, in my opinion, needs to take over full-time starter duties as soon as possible. The other is a feature on young forward Will Smith. There’s a lot to be excited about in San Jose with this new young core and these are two big pieces of it.