The Avalanche head into Calgary on Thursday still looking for a clean finish to the first back-to-back of their season, and they’ll get it against a Flames team that has stumbled out of the gate at 0-3-0.
Colorado dropped a 3-2 decision to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday at Canada Life Centre, a game that swung back and forth before Kyle Connor’s second goal of the night broke the tie with one minute left. Jaden Schwartz and Fedor Svechkov each finished with a goal and an assist, while Brent Burns and Brett Kulak picked up helpers. Mackenzie Blackwood made 16 saves, and Colorado’s penalty kill handled both Winnipeg opportunities.
The Avs got on the board first at 2:51 of the second period when Schwartz scored his first goal as an Avalanche on a slap shot from the slot. Winnipeg answered quickly through Kyle Connor at 4:01, then grabbed a 2-1 lead when Cole Perfetti redirected one home at 18:16.
Colorado pulled even again at 12:35 of the third, with Svechkov scoring his first as an Av on a shot from the doorstep after Schwartz fed him with a backhand pass. But Connor finished it for Winnipeg at 19:00.
Thursday also opens the first of three meetings between Colorado and Calgary this season. The teams will meet again in Denver on October 31st and then return to Calgary on April 8th.
The Flames come in after a rough night of their own, falling 6-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena. Seattle jumped out fast, scoring three times in the opening 20 minutes on goals from Berkly Catton at 2:22, Mackie Samoskevich at 4:40 and Bobby McMann at 7:40.
Shane Wright added two more in the second period, at 11:58 and 19:34, before Morgan Frost got Calgary on the board with a power-play goal at 14:25 of the third. Jordan Eberle closed the scoring for Seattle at 15:04.
Colorado has had plenty of success in Alberta lately, going 3-0-0 there last season with two wins over Edmonton and one over Calgary. That lines up with the broader trend for the Avalanche in the second game of back-to-backs: since 2020-21, they’ve gone 43-14-9, a .720 points percentage.
Nathan MacKinnon continues to drive the offense early, leading the Avalanche with five points while tying for the team lead in assists with three and sharing second in goals with two. Artturi Lehkonen tops Colorado with three goals and sits tied for second with four points, while Parker Kelly is tied for first in assists with three and tied for second in points with four.
MacKinnon’s numbers against Calgary are especially eye-catching. He has 47 points in 33 regular-season games against the Flames, plus eight more in five playoff contests.
Cale Makar, a Calgary native, has 17 points in 14 regular-season games against the Flames and two points in three playoff games. Martin Necas has also found success against Calgary, with 14 points in 15 regular-season meetings.
On the Calgary side, Joel Farabee leads the club with two points and two assists. Matt Coronato is tied for the team lead in goals with one and is tied for second in points with one, while Zayne Parekh is also tied for second in points and assists with one apiece.
After the loss in Winnipeg, Jared Bednar kept the focus on cleaning up what went wrong and carrying the good parts forward. As he put it: "As we do every game, we'll address some of the weaknesses we had tonight and try to improve on them.
And some of the things that we did really well, too. And show [the team] a little bit of that going into tomorrow night's game, and then you regroup and go again."
In Other News...
Avalanche Send An Early Message With One Defense Decision
Sam Malinskis start to the season has quickly become one of the more interesting roster storylines for the Avalanche, especially for a player who was such a steady presence a year ago. After playing every game last season and earning a four-year extension, he found himself on the outside looking in as Jared Bednar shuffled the blue line and gave Noah Juulsen a shot in a recent matchup with Calgary.
The move fit the message Bednar has been sending early: no one on the defense is locked into anything if the play is not there. Juulsens insertion came in a 7-3 win over the Flames, and while the Avalanche clearly like Malinskis long-term profile, his early struggles have opened the door to more competition than he has faced since establishing himself. For a team trying to settle its defensive mix, that is a reminder that recent performance can matter more than what happened last spring. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Forward Suddenly Has A Shot To Return At Ball Arena
Miles Woods path has taken another turn, and it could bring him right back to Ball Arena. Toronto recalled the forward from the AHLs Toronto Marlies, opening the door for him to potentially make his Maple Leafs debut against the Avalanche, the team he once suited up for before getting dealt away in the offseason move that brought him to the Leafs organization.
For Colorado fans, Woods name still carries a memorable playoff imprint after his overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2024 second-round series against Dallas. Now theres at least a chance he surfaces in Denver again, this time in a different sweater and in a different role than the one Avalanche supporters remember, with his Toronto debut still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Reunion Night Comes With One Intriguing Lineup Twist
The Avalanche will get a familiar visit to Ball Arena when the Maple Leafs roll into town carrying a couple of old Colorado faces on the roster. Nick Blankenburg and Miles Wood both have recent ties to the franchise, and their presence adds a little extra texture to a night that already has a reunion feel for fans who still remember them in burgundy and blue.
Blankenburg is the more interesting name to watch because Toronto may need him to step in after an injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Wood is also back with the big club after a recent AHL recall, though he is not expected to play, which leaves one small lineup wrinkle still worth monitoring before puck drop. [Read more 🡒]