Preview: Avalanche square off against Coyotes
Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images
The start of a holiday home-and-home with Arizona.
After a couple troubling losses on the road the Colorado Avalanche are looking to extend their four-game home win streak before the mandatory three-day holiday break. Sandwiched around that Christmas time-off is a pair of home-and-home games with the Arizona Coyotes. First up is tonight at Ball Arena before traveling to The Mullett four days from now. Will the Avalanche bring us holiday cheer?
Arizona has given the Avalanche trouble for a couple seasons now as they ascend out of their rebuild as a legitimate playoff contender. After a disappointing overtime loss less than a month ago the Avalanche are looking for a little payback and a win will keep Arizona firmly in the rearview for now.
Colorado Avalanche
There aren’t many lineup changes expected after a win but Ben Meyers was sent back to the Colorado Eagles and played last night indicating that Andrew Cogliano is good to go after his latest absence. Nathan MacKinnon and Josh Manson took the morning skate off but are expected to play tonight. Both Samuel Girard and Artturi Lehkonen, in non-contact, participated in morning skate as they move closer to a return to the lineup.
Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Jonathan Drouin
Andrew Cogliano — Ryan Johansen — Logan O’Connor
Joel Kiviranta — Fredrick Olofsson — Kurtis MacDermid
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Bowen Byram — Josh Manson
Jack Johnson — Sam Malinski
Arizona Coyotes
Led by 2016 seventh overall pick Clayton Keller, the Coyotes have found some offense and are getting solid goaltending from the tandem of Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka, which has been a recipe for success thus far. The Coyotes are riding a four-game win streak and looking to extend their success prior to the mini-break.
Clayton Keller — Alexander Kerfoot — Nick Schmaltz
Matias Maccelli — Nick Bjugstad — Lawson Crouse
Michael Carcone — Jack McBain — Zach Sanford
Liam O’Brien — Logan Cooley — Jason Zucker
J.J. Moser — Mathew Dumba
Sean Durzi — Troy Stetcher
Travis Dermott — Michael Kesselring
Goaltending
Fresh off of a win Alexandar Georgiev will get back in net for the home squad. Vejmelka has started and won the last three of his starts so it is likely the Coyotes will go back to him and ride the hot hand. ...
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