Colorado Avalanche Return Home to Face Utah Hockey Club After Stellar Road Trip
The Colorado Avalanche (17-13-0) are set to host the Utah Hockey Club at Ball Arena tonight, marking their return after a triumphant five-game road trip. With puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. MT, the Avalanche are riding high on a three-game winning streak and are eager to continue their momentum on home ice.
READ MORE: 10 Key Takeaways from the Avalanche’s Dominant 6-2 Win in Pittsburgh
The Avalanche’s road trip began with a rocky start, surrendering four goals in just 12 minutes to the Buffalo Sabres. This led to the unexpected debut of Scott Wedgewood, who stepped in as the backup goalie. Over the next four games, Wedgewood proved his worth, posting a 3-1-0 record with an impressive .944 save percentage.Now, with Mackenzie Blackwood joining the team as the new backup, the Avalanche’s goaltending situation appears more stable than ever.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Avalanche head coach jared Bednar. “We went from not knowing what Wedgewood could bring to adding another solid goalie in Blackwood. it’s been a crazy 10 days, but the team has responded well.”
Beyond the goaltending, the Avalanche have been firing on all cylinders. They’ve outscored their opponents 12-3 during their three-game winning streak, with stars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading the charge. Both players contributed five points each in their most recent victory and currently rank first and fourth in the NHL points race,respectively.
Simultaneously occurring,the Utah Hockey Club enters tonight’s matchup with a 3-1-1 record in their last five games. their most recent outing saw them fall 5-4 in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild at home. Despite the loss, Utah has shown resilience and will be a tough opponent for the Avalanche.
Season Series Recap
- Oct. 24 at Utah Hockey Club (W, 5-2)
- Dec. 12 vs Utah Hockey Club
- Dec. 27 at Utah Hockey Club
Injury Updates
- Josh Manson (upper body, week-to-week)
- Oliver Kylington (upper body, week-to-week)
- miles Wood (upper body, IR)
- jonathan Drouin (upper body, week-to-week)
- Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
Projected Avalanche Lines
artturi lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Ross Colton — Casey Mittelstadt — Valeri Nichushkin
Joel Kiviranta – Parker Kelly – Logan O’Connor
Givani Smith — Ivan Ivan — chris Wagner
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski
Keaton Middleton — Calvin de Haan
Scott wedgewood
Mackenzie Blackwood
Projected Starters
- confirmed: Scott Wedgewood (COL)
- confirmed: Karel vejmelka (UTA)
Upcoming Milestones
- Mikko Rantanen — needs 3 PPG for 100
- Nathan MacKinnon — needs 4 PPG for 100
- Cale Makar — needs 5 goals for 100
- Logan O’Connor — needs 7 games for 300
- Chris Wagner — needs 8 games for 400
- Devon Toews — needs 8 assists for 200
How to Watch
- TV: Altitude Sports
- Radio: 92.5 FM
Don’t miss tonight’s exciting matchup as the avalanche look to continue their winning ways against the Utah Hockey Club. Tune in to Altitude Sports or 92.5 FM to catch all the action live!
