Preview: One last round with the Jets
Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado wraps up their homestand with their fourth and final game of the regular season against the Winnipeg Jets.
Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche wrap up their five-game homestand as they take on the Winnipeg Jets for the fourth and final time during the regular season. Winnipeg has won two of the three previously played games, with Colorado winning just one. Will the Avs be able to win here tonight and even up the regular-season series against the Jets?
One final home game in this five-game stretch, and it's a big one against the Winnipeg Jets! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/N7WSoypteH— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) January 22, 2025
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs come into this game after a little bit of a roller-coaster of a weekend, at least as far as game outcomes go. During the weekend, they ranged from blowing a 3-0 lead against the Edmonton Oilers to dominating the Dallas Stars and winning 6-3. While they did have a big win against a very good Dallas team, they struggled to finish off the Oilers.
If Colorado manages to jump out to a lead here tonight, it’ll be important to protect that lead. The Jets have legitimate scoring threats up and down their roster, like Kyle Connor, who is more than capable of exchanging goals with the Avs’ top players.
On that note, scoring some goals this time around would go a long way in helping the Avs to secure a victory, after they were shut out by Connor Hellebyuck the last time these two teams met. Solving Hellebyuck is much easier said than done, but getting pucks toward him early would go a long way in helping to solve him here tonight.
Projected Lineup
Ross Colton - Nathan MacKinnon - Mikko RantanenJonathan Drouin - Casey Mittelstadt - Arturri LehkonenJoel Kiviranta - Parker Kelly - Logan O’ConnorJere Innala - Juuso Parssinen - Ivan Ivan
Devon Toews - Cale MakarSamuel Girard - Josh MansonKeaton Middleton - Calvin De Haan
Winnipeg Jets
Despite their blistering-hot start to the season, the Jets have cooled off a bit since then. They’ve left the door open a bit for the Avs, Stars, and Minnesota Wild to all challenge for the top spot in the division.
They’re currently on a two-game losing skid and will be looking to snap that streak here tonight. Despite having lost two in a row now, this is still an incredibly good team with one of the best goaltenders in the entire NHL right now. This matchup certainly isn’t one to overlook for the Avs.
Projected Lineup
Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Gabriel VilardiNikolaj Ehlers - Adam Lowrey - Alex IafalloNino Niederriter - Vladislav Namestnikov - Cole PerfettiDavid Gustafsson - Rasmus Kupari - Morgon Barron
Josh Morrissey - Dylan DemeloDylan Samberg - Nial PionkLogan Stanley - Colin Miller
Goaltenders
We should be in for a phenomenal goaltending matchup here tonight, as it’ll likely be Mackenzie Blackwood and Connor Hellebyuck going in net for their respective teams tonight. Blackwood has continued to be incredible for Colorado and was the primary reason that they were even in the last game against Minnesota, as he made some incredible saves to give the Avs a chance.
Hellebyuck needs no introduction, he’s one of the best goaltenders here in the league right now, and although he’s coming off a game where he posted a sub .900 save percentage, you can expect him to bounce back from that performance here tonight. ...
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