Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators (4:00 p.m.)
Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images
It’s finally a Colorado Avalanche game day!
We're back! It's the first of a back-to-back starting away to the Nashville Predators! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9dPqZx7w9f— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) February 22, 2025
After the remarkable success of the Four Nations Faceoff, which captivated the sports world in North America for the last 10 days, the National Hockey League is back in action Saturday, with 14 games occurring across the league.
The Colorado Avalanche return to play with some positive momentum, as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews return from the Four Nations Faceoff as champions with Team Canada. Additionally, MacKinnon was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, as his bid for consecutive NHL Hart Trophies continues to gain steam.
To put a cherry on top of it all, all four of the Avs representatives left the tournament healthy, with the three Canadians (and Artturi Lehkonen) all expected to suit up tonight.
Despite the positives, the Avalanche have a tough task at hand, as they return to action to the tune of a back-to-back set that squares them off against two divisional rivals on the road, starting off with the Nashville Predators this afternoon, and the St. louis Blues tomorrow afternoon. Colorado won four out of five games going into the break, and a win tonight would go a long way in immediately re-establishing that momentum for the home stretch of the season as they jostle for playoff seeding.
This is the final time the Avs will face the Predators this season, and these are the games you need to come out of with two points.
Colorado Avalanche Avalanche Projected Lineup
Artturi Lehkonen (62) — Nathan MacKinnon (29) — Martin Necas (88)Jonathan Drouin (27) — Casey Mittelstadt (37) — Juuso Parssinen (16)Miles Wood (28) — Jack Drury (18) — Ross Colton (20)Joel Kiviranta (94) — Parker Kelly (17) — Logan O’Connor (25)
Devon Toews (7) — Cale Makar (8)Samuel Girard (49) — Sam Malinski (70)Calvin De Haan (44) — Oliver Kylington (58)
MacKenzie Blackwood (39)Scott Wedgewood (41)
Nashville Predators Projected Lineup
Filip Forsberg (9) — Ryan O’Reilly (90) Jonathan Marchessault (81)Steven Stamkos (91) — Fedor Svechkov (40) — Gustav Nyquist (14)Mark Jankowski (17) — Tommy Novak (82) — Luke Evangelista (77)Cole Smith (36) — Michael McCarron (47) — Colton Sissons (10)
Roman Josi (59) — Justin Barron (20)Brady Skjei (76) — Nick Blankenburg (37)Andreas Englund (5) — Jake Livingstone (23)
Juuse Saros (74)Justus Annunen (29)
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