The Colorado Avalanche are back at Ball Arena this afternoon, looking to reset the tone of their seven-game homestand after a rough couple of outings. Sitting at 33-5-8, the Avs have been dominant at home all season (19-1-3), but they’re coming off a stretch they’d like to forget-a narrow overtime loss to Toronto followed by a 7-3 thumping at the hands of Nashville, arguably their worst home showing of the year.
Now, they’ll try to get back on track against the Washington Capitals (24-19-6), a team that’s also dropped two straight and is trying to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Puck drops at 2:22 p.m. MT on TNT in what should be a compelling nationally televised matchup.
All Eyes on Ovi
One of the biggest storylines heading into this one: Alex Ovechkin. This will be his 15th career game at Ball Arena, where he’s tallied six goals and four assists over the years.
The question hanging in the air-will this be the last time we see The Great Eight in Denver? That remains to be seen, but expect Ovechkin to bring his usual fire as he continues chasing history.
Goaltending Watch
Nothing’s confirmed yet, but all signs point to Scott Wedgewood getting the nod in net for Colorado. If he does, it’ll be his first start since January 8, when he helped backstop the Avs to an 8-2 win over Ottawa.
On the other side, Washington is likely to counter with Logan Thompson, who’s been their workhorse this season with 35 starts in 49 games. Both goalies will be looking to help their teams snap losing skids and build some momentum heading into the back half of the season.
Season Series Snapshot
This afternoon marks the first of two meetings between these teams this season. They’ll see each other again on March 22 in D.C., but for now, it’s all about setting the tone-and for Colorado, regaining their home-ice swagger.
Injury Report
The Avs are still navigating through a handful of injuries. Logan O’Connor is out with an undisclosed issue, while Joel Kiviranta and Devon Toews are both week-to-week with lower and upper-body injuries, respectively. Captain Gabriel Landeskog remains sidelined with an upper-body injury and is still considered “weeks” away.
Projected Avalanche Lines
Forwards:
- Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
- Ross Colton - Brock Nelson - Valeri Nichushkin
- Parker Kelly - Jack Drury - Victor Olofsson
- Zakhar Bardakov - Ivan Ivan - Gavin Brindley
Defense:
- Sam Malinski - Cale Makar
- Josh Manson - Brent Burns
- Ilya Solovyov - Samuel Girard
Goalies:
- Scott Wedgewood
- Mackenzie Blackwood
As always, these combinations are subject to change, especially with injuries and potential last-minute adjustments.
Milestone Tracker
A few Avalanche players are approaching some notable career marks:
- Samuel Girard is just three assists shy of 200.
- Gabriel Landeskog, when he returns, needs seven points to reach 600.
- Devon Toews is nine points away from 300.
- Valeri Nichushkin is seven games from hitting the 600-game mark.
- Nathan MacKinnon is closing in on a pair of big numbers-three points away from 1,100 and six assists from 700.
How to Watch
Catch the action on TNT and truTV, or tune in on the radio at 92.5 FM.
This one has all the ingredients for a bounce-back game for Colorado, but they’ll need to tighten things up defensively and bring the kind of energy that’s made Ball Arena a fortress this season. With Ovechkin in town and both teams hungry to end mini skids, expect a fast-paced, physical battle between two clubs with playoff aspirations-and plenty to prove.