Avalanche Game 62 vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Lindgren Debuts, Lines, Notes & How to Watch

The Colorado Avalanche (35-24-2) continue their six-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Penguins (24-29-10). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. MT.

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Already riding a two-game winning streak to start the homestand, the Avalanche are welcoming Ryan Lindgren into the lineup. The 27-year-old defenseman was acquired from the New York Rangers early Saturday morning following Colorado’s 5-2 victory the previous night against Minnesota.

Lindgren, who spent the majority of his career as a top-pair defenseman, will likely slot in on the third pair alongside Sam Malinski. He’ll replace the role that was filled by blueliner Calvin de Haan before the deal. Josh Manson remains out of the lineup but is getting closer to a return, head coach Jared Bednar said.

Scott Wedgewood gets the nod in goal for Colorado. He’s 5-4-0 since joining the Avs and carries a .908 save percentage.

Colorado’s offense has taken off over the past two games, scoring 10 goals. With Valeri Nichushkin back in the lineup, the team has 12 capable forwards who can be trusted for the first time in a while. The trade with New York last weekend also brought in Jimmy Vesey, who will sit as Colorado’s 13th forward.

Defensively, the Avs have also been excellent so far on the homestand, giving up just 20 and 23 shots, respectively, to New Jersey and Minnesota. Mackenzie Blackwood has stopped 40 of those 43 shots.

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The Penguins’ season looks a lot different than it did when the Avalanche traveled to Pittsburgh in December. At the time, they were just two games below .500 and still hoping to make a push for a playoff spot.

That’s since changed. Pittsburgh is coming off a 6-5 OT loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and is well on its way to a lottery pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Pens are 1-5-1 in their last seven games and have given up a whopping 35 goals.

They called up Tristan Jarry from the AHL with hopes of turning things around. Jarry has not played in the NHL since Jan. 14 and hasn’t won a game since Dec. 23. He’s 8-8-4 with an .886 save percentage this season.

Alex Nedeljkovic will get the nod tonight. He’s 12-12-5 this season.