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Avalanche Pregame Notes

Avalanche Game 46 vs Edmonton Oilers, Lines, Notes & How to Watch

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The Colorado Avalanche (27-17-1) continue their homestand against the Edmonton Oilers (28-13-3). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. MT but could be pushed back to 7:50 p.m. since it’s the second part of a double-header on ESPN.



READ MORE: Jared Bednar Shakes Up Avalanche Lines

The Avalanche are coming off an exciting comeback victory over the New York Rangers where Artturi Lehkonen scored with 1:13 remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime before Devon Toews added the game-winner.

But despite getting two points, head coach Jared Bednar was unhappy with his team’s performance leading up to the final minutes. He called out nearly half the team for being “passengers” in a game where the Avs were outplayed by a middling team for most of the night.

โ€œThe problem with tonight is weโ€™re relying on the same eight, nine guys to do everything,โ€ Bednar said on Tuesday. โ€œPower play, penalty kill, five on five. Itโ€™s because we had too many passengers.โ€

Bednar mish-mashed his line combinations to send a message to some of the players he was unhappy with. Most notably, Casey Mittelstadt was kicked down to the fourth line, playing with two AHL call-ups in Jason Polin and Jere Innala. That’s where he’ll start against Edmonton as the coaching staff continues to navigate his prolonged slump.

Among the other notable lineup changes, Mikko Rantanen shifted to No. 2 center and practiced there on Wednesday. Bednar confirmed Rantanen will start in that spot against the Oilers. Ross Colton was also demoted to a third line wing and both Logan O’Connor and Joel Kiviranta are being rewarded with an opportunity to play with Rantanen in the top six. The line combinations below reflect what the Avs used for Wednesday’s practice.

Samuel Girard will return to the lineup after missing the last three games. He’s expected to slot back onto the second pair alongside Josh Manson. Girard is also re-joining the second power-play unit.

It’s unclear who the Avs will sit, whether Keaton Middleton, Sam Malinski, or Calvin de Haan, albeit Malinski stayed on the ice longer than the others.

Mackenzie Blackwood was Colorado’s MVP and looks to continue his strong stretch of play. He’ll get the nod in goal again. In 12 appearances since being acquired, Blackwood is 9-2-1 and has given up either one or two goals in every game. He has a sparkling .938 save percentage with the Avs and a .920 on the season.

Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood, who hasn’t played since getting injured on Jan. 2, will again backup. Wedgewood is 4-2 with the Avalanche and has a .917 save percentage since joining the team.

READ MORE: Jared Bednar Says Avalanche Had Too Many Passengers

Edmonton is the hottest team in the NHL over the past few months. Like the Avs, the Oilers started the season struggling. They began 2-4-1 but have gone 26-9-2 since then. On Wednesday, the Oilers — led by Connor McDavid — defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-3 on the road.

This means that Colorado is again facing a team on the second part of a back-to-back. The Oilers are 4-3-0 in the second game of a back-to-back. They lost their first three but have since won four in a row in that scenario.

This includes a 4-1 victory on Nov. 30 at Ball Arena when Edmonton played the night before in Utah. But on that night, the Avs had also played the previous day in Dallas.

Calvin Pickard was in goal against the Wild, meaning the Oilers are expected to start Stuart Skinner against the Avs.

READ MORE: ‘Not Happy With the Way We Played:’ Avs Uneven in OT Win

Season Series

  • Nov. 30 vs Edmonton Oilers (L, 4-1)
  • Jan. 16 vs Edmonton Oilers
  • Feb. 7 at Edmonton Oilers

Avalanche Injuries

  • Valeri Nichushkin (lower body, day-to-day)
  • Oliver Kylington (upper body, IR)
  • Miles Wood (upper body, LTIR)
  • Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)

Projected Avalanche Lines (subject to change)

Jonathan Drouin โ€” Nathan MacKinnon โ€” Artturi Lehkonen
Joel Kiviranta โ€” Mikko Rantanen โ€” Logan O’Connor
Ross Colton โ€“ Parker Kelly โ€“ Juuso Parssinen
Jere Innala โ€” Casey Mittelstadt โ€” Jason Polin

Devon Toews โ€” Cale Makar
Samuel Girard โ€” Josh Manson
Keaton Middleton โ€” Calvin de Haan

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Projected Starters (subject to change)

  • Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
  • Expected: Stuart Skinner (EDM)

Upcoming Milestones

  • Cale Makar — needs 1 goal for 100
  • Jonathan Drouin โ€” needs 1 goal for 100
  • Ross Colton โ€” needs 2 games for 300
  • Devon Toews โ€” needs 3 assists for 200
  • Nathan MacKinnon โ€” needs 4 PPG for 100
  • Logan Oโ€™Connor โ€” needs 5 points for 100
  • Mikko Rantanen — needs 9 assists for 400
  • Mackenzie Blackwood — needs 10 wins for 100

How to Watch

  • TV: ESPN
  • Radio: 92.5 FM

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