The Colorado Avalanche come in needing a reset, and the timing is hardly forgiving. After back-to-back rough outings against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, they now have to try to steady themselves against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has won three straight and looks very much like the outfit that met Colorado in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Lightning stumbled early this season, but they’ve started to settle in and look like one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference again. That’s the version Colorado is walking into tonight.
The goaltending matchup is a big part of the challenge. Tampa Bay will lean on Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is 5-2-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and an .898 save percentage. He was sharp in the Lightning’s last win over the Vegas Golden Knights, stopping 32 of 34 shots.
Colorado will counter with MacKenzie Blackwood. His 4-3-0 record, 2.90 GAA and .899 save percentage suggest an ordinary start, but the performances underneath those numbers tell a different story.
He’s been one of Colorado’s best players in losses to Pittsburgh and New Jersey, combining for 54 saves on 58 shots. He was also strong in the second game of a back-to-back against the Dallas Stars, finishing with 24 saves on 26 shots.
The only real blemish cited here came against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Outside of that night, Blackwood has largely kept the Avalanche in games while the team has dealt with defensive breakdowns, high-danger chances against, and power-play opportunities that haven’t been converted into the kind of cushion they’ve needed.
Colorado is also expected to get a body back up front. Logan O’Connor is expected to return tonight after starting the season on LTIR. He had been lined up to make his debut against the Calgary Flames before stepping away from the team following the death of his father.
The roster shuffle doesn’t stop there. Taylor Makar has been recalled, while Gavin Brindley has been sent back to the AHL Colorado Eagles. Even with Brindley playing well, the Avalanche have enough top-six options, and O’Connor and Makar are a better fit for bottom-six duty.
That move also ends, at least for now, Colorado’s use of 11 forwards and seven defensemen. With a full fourth line available again, the Avalanche can lean on their depth more normally against a Lightning team that doesn’t leave much room for error.
The expected lineup has Artturi Lehkonen with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas; Gabriel Landeskog with Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri; Jaden Schwartz with Fedor Svechkov and T.J. Hughes; and Taylor Makar with Parker Kelly and Logan O’Connor.
On defense, Devon Toews is paired with Cale Makar, Brett Kulak with Sam Malinski, and Josh Manson with Brent Burns.
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