The Colorado Avalanche come home for Game 2 with a familiar test waiting at Ball Arena, and a major night for their captain layered on top.
After an 8-4 opening-night win over the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado showed the same things that usually define this group: speed, offense, dependable goaltending, and a willingness to stand up for each other when things get heated. That package could be on display again against the St. Louis Blues, with a fight also expected in the matchup.
St. Louis arrives after opening its season with a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars on a back-to-back, with Joel Hofer in goal.
That setup points the Avalanche toward Jordan Binnington, a goaltender whose name has long carried plenty of baggage for Colorado. Even with the playoff history, the Avalanche have had the upper hand on him in the regular season, owning a 12-14-1 record against Binnington.
Colorado will stay with Mackenzie Blackwood in net. He’s set for his second straight start after stopping 27 of 31 shots in the win over Los Angeles.
The Avalanche also want to keep rolling offensively after a first game that spread production all over the lineup. Thirteen different players recorded at least one point in the opener, a strong sign that the attack is already humming. The power play will draw plenty of attention too after a successful night in an area that was a weakness leaving the 2025-26 season.
There are still some injury updates to track. Head coach Jared Bednar said Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux are both making good progress in their recovery, but neither will play tonight. Bednar said he hopes to have them available when Colorado faces the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames on back-to-back nights starting Wednesday.
The biggest individual milestone belongs to Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche captain will skate in his 800th career NHL game, a significant marker for the 34-year-old. He enters the night with 263 career goals, 344 assists and 607 points, numbers shaped in part by the knee injury that sidelined him for two seasons.
Colorado’s expected lineup for the night: Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas up front; Gabriel Landeskog with Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri; Jaden Schwartz, Fedor Svechkov and T.J. Hughes; Parker Kelly and Nicolas Roy. On defense, Devon Toews and Cale Makar are paired together, with Brett Kulak and Sam Malinski, Josh Manson and Brent Burns, and Noah Juulsen listed as well.
In Other News...
Avalanche Are About To Learn What T.J. Hughes Really Is
T.J. Hughes got his first taste of the NHL with the Avalanche against the Los Angeles Kings, and it was the kind of debut that told Colorado a little about where he is right now and not nearly enough about where he might go. He spent most of the night on the third line and came away without a point, which is hardly unusual for a player trying to find his footing in his first game at the top level.
Even so, the Avalanche are giving Hughes a real look, including time on the top power-play unit, as injuries have left the roster thin and the coaching staff keeps searching for useful answers. That makes the next few games important for Hughes, who will need time to settle in and show how he fits before Colorados lineup starts to stabilize again. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Depth Help Is Getting Closer At Just The Right Time
The Avalanche got a little healthier around the edges at practice, with forwards Zachary LHeureux and Logan OConnor both on the ice and moving closer to a return. Neither will suit up for the next game, but their presence is a useful sign for a team that has been waiting on depth help while both players work back from lower-body injuries, one dating to preseason and the other carrying over from last season.
Colorado will still be short a familiar piece against the Buffalo Sabres, with Bowen Byram out because of a family matter. Even so, the bigger-picture outlook is starting to brighten, and the Avalanche are at least getting within sight of reinforcements that could matter once the lineup starts to thin out over a demanding stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Goalie Plan May Be Taking Shape Fast
The Avalanches goaltending picture is already starting to settle into a familiar-looking pattern, with Mackenzie Blackwood getting the nod in the first two games of the season and Scott Wedgewood right behind him as a proven option. Colorado came into the year with two netminders who are both capable of starting, which gives the team real flexibility, but it also means the early rotation is worth watching closely as the coaching staff sorts out how best to divide the workload.
Blackwood has the longer-term edge because of his contract, while Wedgewood is on the shorter deal and could end up carrying a lighter share after starting last season. For a team trying to balance present competitiveness with roster planning, the arrangement suggests Colorado is not just picking a starter, it is managing two viable options with different timelines in mind. [Read more 🡒]