Avalanche Pregame Notes
Avalanche Game 26 vs Vancouver Canucks: Nichushkin Returns, Lines, Notes & How To Watch
The Colorado Avalanche (18-1-6) take on the Vancouver Canucks (10-13-3). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. MT.
READ MORE: How Wedgewood, Blackwood Have Helped Avalanche Reach New Heights (+)
Key Stories to Watch
- Valeri Nichushkin makes his return to the Avalanche lineup after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to play on the second line with Brock Nelson and captain Gabe Landeskog. The Avs went 7-0-1 without Nichushkin in the lineup.
- Scott Wedgewood is back in goal for the Avs, looking to rebound after falling in the shootout at Minnesota in his last start.
- The Canucks have just two wins in their last 10 games, but they’re above .500 on the road.
- Colorado won the first meeting between the two clubs, a 5-4 OT victory back on Nov. 9. That was the only OT victory the Avs have this season in seven tries.
Season Series
- Nov. 9 at Vancouver Canucks (W, 5-4 OT)
- Dec. 2 vs Vancouver Canucks
- April 1 vs Vancouver Canucks
READ MORE: Nichushkin a Full Participant at Practice. Is a Return on Tuesday Imminent?
Avalanche Injuries
- Logan O’Connor (hip, week-to-week)
- Gavin Brindley (lower body, week-to-week)
READ MORE: In the Room: MacKinnon Exclusive, Vintage Landeskog, and a Highly Focused Group (+)
Projected Avalanche Lines (Subject to Change)
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
Parker Kelly — Zakhar Bardakov — Joel Kiviranta
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski
Scott Wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Projected Starters (Subject to Change)
- Confirmed: Scott Wedgewood (COL)
- Expected: Kevin Lankinen (VAN)
Upcoming Milestones
- Devon Toews — needs 2 games for 500
- Nathan MacKinnon — needs 5 games for 900
- Victor Olofsson — needs 5 games for 400
- Brock Nelson — needs 7 assists for 300
How to Watch
- TV: Altitude TV
- Radio: 92.5 FM
When LOC is healthy, does he replace Kiviranta? Keep the Energizer Bunny, Brindley, as an instant spark in your pocket? Assuming, of course, everyone stays health, knock-knock.
Couple things.
LOC replaces kiviranta.
2nd brindley will either be 3rd or 4th line by 2 things. 1 colton moves to 3C moving drury back to 4C.
Brindley colton olofsson or
Brindley kelly LOC.
Either way bardakov is getting replaced somehow.
Kivi bardakov solovyov are all the avs extras
I don’t know how you remove Bardakov from the lineup. And didn’t you say that the Avs need to trade Olofsson yet you keep him over Bardakov?