Aarif Deen
April 1, 2026
The Colorado Avalanche (49-14-10) complete a two-game homestand against the Vancouver Canucks (21-44-8). Puck drop is scheduled for 6:42 p.m. MT.
Key Stories to Watch
- The Avalanche will be without Cale Makar for the foreseeable future. This will be the first game he misses this season. Head coach Jared Bednar said the star defenseman is doing ok and his injury isn’t severe. But Makar will miss some time.
- Nick Blankenburg joins the lineup in Makar’s absence and will play alongside Brent Burns to continue experimenting new pairings. Josh Manson will move to the right and play with Brett Kulak. The Avs have been playing Devon Toews and Sam Malinski for the last handful of games and they will remain together, likely as the top pair. Malinski will also quarterback the power play.
- By defeating the Canucks, the Avalanche can set themselves up to be in a position that defeating the Dallas Stars on Saturday will officially clinch the No. 1 seed in the Central Division. The Avs currently hold an eight-point lead with two games in hand.
- Mackenzie Blackwood gets the nod in goal for the Avs, making his 32nd start of the season. Blackwood is 21-9-1 and 2-0-0 against the Canucks. He can sweep the three-game series against Vancouver with a win tonight.
Season Series
- Nov. 9 at Vancouver Canucks (W, 5-4)
- Dec. 2 vs Vancouver Canucks (W, 3-1)
- April 1 vs Vancouver Canucks
Avalanche Injuries
- Nicolas Roy (upper body, will miss time)
- Cale Makar (upper body, will miss time)
Projected Avalanche Lines (Subject to Change)
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton — Nazem Kadri — Logan O’Connor
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Joel Kiviranta
Devon Toews— Sam Malinski
Brett Kulak — Josh Manson
Nick Blankenburg — Brent Burns
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Projected Starters (Subject to Change)
- Confirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
- Unconfirmed: Kevin Lankinen (VAN)
Upcoming Milestones
- Josh Manson — needs 1 point for 200, 1 game for 700
- Valeri Nichushkin — needs 1 assist for 200
- Devon Toews — needs 3 points for 300
- Ross Colton — needs 5 games for 400
How to Watch
- TV: Altitude TV
- Radio: 92.5 FM