The Avalanche take their first road trip of the season tonight, and they’re doing it with a chance to make a little early history.
Colorado visits the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre in the opener of a back-to-back through Canada, with puck drop set for 5:45 p.m. MT. The Avalanche are 2-0-0, one of just two undefeated teams left, and they can become the first club to reach 3-0 this season with a win in Winnipeg.
There’s also a lineup wrinkle to watch. Zachary L’Heureux is set to make his season debut and dress in an Avalanche sweater for the first time.
He’ll slide onto the fourth line, which allows Jared Bednar to go with 12 forwards and six defensemen. That setup likely means Noah Juulsen comes out on the blue line.
Colorado has opened the year in a hurry offensively. The Avalanche have piled up 14 goals in two games, with Artturi Lehkonen leading the way with three. Even more eye-catching: they’ve scored six goals through two periods in each of their first two games.
Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start for the third straight game, which would put Scott Wedgewood in line for his season debut Thursday night in Calgary. Blackwood was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate, according to Conor McGahey.
Winnipeg has answered its own early questions well enough, even without Connor Hellebuyck. Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti share the team lead with five points apiece, and the Jets’ goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson has allowed eight goals across three games. Skinner, who is 4-2-2 in nine starts against Colorado, is expected to get the nod after sitting out the last game so Stevenson could make his Jets debut.
Colorado’s projected forward group has Lehkonen with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas on the top line, followed by Gabriel Landeskog with Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri. Jaden Schwartz is slated to skate with Fedor Svechkov and T.J. Hughes, while Parker Kelly centers Nicolas Roy and L’Heureux.
On defense, the pairings project as Devon Toews with Cale Makar, Brett Kulak with Sam Malinski, and Josh Manson with Brent Burns. Blackwood is listed as the expected starter, with Wedgewood backing him up.
There are a few milestones in play as well. Scott Wedgewood needs one game to reach 200, Nazem Kadri is two power-play goals away from 200, Nicolas Roy needs seven points for 200, and Blackwood needs seven games for 300.
The Avalanche and Jets will meet four times this season: Oct. 7 in Winnipeg, Feb. 25 in Colorado, March 25 in Winnipeg, and March 27 in Colorado.
In Other News...
Former Avalanche Blue-Liner Brings Back An All Too Familiar What-If
Ryan Lindgrens night for the Kraken ended almost before it began, a jarring turn for a defenseman whose career has already been marked by constant movement. He was hurt 15 seconds into Seattles game against the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a hit from behind and did not return because of an upper-body injury, another frustrating reminder of how quickly a season can tilt for a player trying to carve out stability in a new home.
For Avalanche fans, Lindgrens situation can stir a familiar what-if after his brief stint in Colorado following a trade brought him into the fold. He is now in his second season with Seattle, and his recent career path has been a reminder of how often his value has traveled with him from stop to stop. The injury adds a fresh layer of uncertainty to a season that had already been defined by change, leaving more questions about what comes next than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Nathan MacKinnon Suddenly Has The Help Colorado Needed Most
The Avalanche barely had time to settle into the season before their offense started roaring, piling up 14 goals in the first two games and matching a franchise mark. Martin Necas has been a big part of that early surge, flashing the kind of finish and playmaking Colorado hoped to add when it put him alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen.
Necas backed up the buzz in the 6-1 win over the Blues, scoring twice and adding an assist as the top line combined for three goals and eight points. What makes the start even more encouraging for Colorado is that the scoring has come with strong defensive work behind it, giving the Avalanche an early look at the balance they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Bednar Sees One Risk Colorado Must Fix With Zach LHeureux
Zach LHeureux arrives with a reputation that follows him everywhere, and not just because of the way he plays. Since the start of his career, he has piled up 12 suspensions and missed 42 games, a track record that includes a recent three-game ban for slew-footing. For Colorado, the appeal is obvious: there is edge in his game, and edge is something this team has long valued when it is paired with speed, skill and purpose.
Jared Bednar sees the same upside, but he also knows the risk that comes with it. The Avalanche coach said LHeureux can learn to play with bite without crossing the line, pointing to Nazem Kadri as an example of how a player can keep the fire while cleaning up the consequences. The challenge now is less about whether LHeureux can bring energy than whether he can harness it, because Colorado needs that presence on the ice far more than it needs another discipline problem on the ledger. [Read more 🡒]