Cale Makar is set to be back in the lineup, and Mackenzie Blackwood gets another crack at Toronto with a very different look than the one that unraveled at Ball Arena on Oct. 10.
That night, the Maple Leafs lit him up for five goals in Colorado’s 6-3 loss. Now the Avalanche head to Scotiabank Arena for the rematch, and Blackwood will be trying to flip the script against an offense that made life miserable for him the first time around.
Colorado has lost three of its last four meetings with Toronto, and the last one followed the same pattern: the Leafs found plenty of room to work, and the Avalanche spent most of the night chasing. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and Brock Nelson added a goal for Colorado, but Toronto answered with a huge night from Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
The two combined for four goals and five assists. Easton Cowan also scored, and former Avalanche defenseman Nick Blankenburg made an immediate impact by scoring on his first shot as a Maple Leaf.
The good news for Colorado is that Makar appears ready to go. There had been some concern after he left Sunday’s practice for precautionary reasons, but he told The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak that he’s ready to play against Toronto. That gives the Avalanche a major boost on the back end as they try to slow down a team that has repeatedly found ways to break through.
The Leafs’ top threats have been especially effective against Colorado. Matthews has four goals and three assists in his last four games against the Avalanche, while Nylander has been even hotter in this matchup lately. Three of his four career goals against Colorado have come in the last two meetings, and he has added four assists in that stretch.
MacKinnon, meanwhile, has given Toronto plenty to think about over the years. He has 27 points in 25 career games against the Leafs and will again be central to Colorado’s push to answer back.
Blackwood’s recent form suggests he may be in a better place to handle the challenge this time. Over his last nine starts, he has gone 7-1-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He also comes in off a 27-save shutout against Detroit in Colorado’s 4-0 win, a performance that should give him some confidence heading into the rematch.
Toronto got the better of him once already. Blackwood now has the chance to make sure this meeting looks a lot different.
Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. local time.
In Other News...
Avalanche Open Tough Trip With One Big Cale Makar Question
The Avalanche head into Tuesday nights game in Toronto with a familiar sort of early-trip uncertainty, this time centered on Cale Makar. Jared Bednar said Makar left practice as a precaution, but the defenseman will travel with the team as Colorado opens a four-game road swing against the Maple Leafs. The timing matters, too, with the Avs looking to keep their momentum intact after MacKenzie Blackwoods recent shutout and with the schedule immediately turning demanding away from home.
Alex Gagnes recall from the Eagles gives Colorado another layer of depth on the back end while the club waits to see how Makar responds. For a team that leans heavily on its top defenseman in every situation, the question in Toronto is less about one regular-season game than about how much caution the Avalanche want to show this early in a trip that could shape the week ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Toews Is Becoming A Bigger Avalanche Weapon Than Expected
Devon Toews has quietly turned into one of the Avalanches most productive players this season, and the latest reminder came in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished with a goal and an assist, pushing him to 18 points in 19 games while Colorado kept rolling behind another strong night from Mackenzie Blackwood, who picked up his 10th win.
A recent shift in the blue line setup has helped unlock even more offense from Toews. With Josh Manson injured, head coach Jared Bednar separated Toews from Cale Makar, giving Toews more room to push forward and join the attack. For a team that already leans on its top defensemen for heavy minutes, getting this kind of extra production from Toews gives Colorado another layer it did not necessarily expect. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Still Have One Contender Flaw Bednar Must Fix
The Avalanches win over the Red Wings offered another reminder of how dangerous this group can be when the special teams are clicking. Colorados power play did real damage in that game, a timely boost for a team that has spent much of the season trying to make its man-advantage more consistent. Even with that showing, the numbers still leave room for concern, with the power play sitting 11th and the penalty kill 15th in the league.
Jared Bednar has enough high-end talent to expect more from both units, and the pressure is on the players who drive them to make the difference. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are central to that effort, because Colorados margin for error in the postseason gets thinner when special teams are merely average. The Avalanche have the pieces to be better there, but until both sides of that equation sharpen up, it remains the one contender flaw that could matter most. [Read more 🡒]