The second of the Colorado Avalanche's five-game homestand will be played in front of a national audience. It's also against none other than Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Both teams are heading in opposite directions, with the latter trying to get back in the right direction. A similar 4-0 result that Pittsburgh got on their home ice all the way back in October would greatly help their case, but the Avs team they face today is very different.
colorado avalanche
The Abs continue to find ways to win, their most recent game being a dominant 6-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. They have won eight straight games since before the trade deadline.
Rookies and stars alike are making great plays up and down the lineup. Frankly, this team looks nearly unbeatable at the moment.
Nathan MacKinnon continues to lead the team as he has all season. His home scoring streak from the start of the season is once again in jeopardy, but can he find a way to keep it going?
projected line
Artturi Lehkonen (62) – Nathan MacKinnon (29) – Mikko Rantanen (96)
Jonathan Drouin (27) – Casey Mittelstadt (37) – Valeri Nichushkin (13)
Miles Wood (28) – Ross Colton (20) – Zach Parise (9)
Andrew Cogliano (11) – Yakov Trenin (73) – Brandon Duhaim (12)
Devon Toews (7) – Cale Makar (8)
Sam Girard (49) – Josh Manson (42)
Jack Johnson (3) – Sean Walker (26)
pittsburgh penguins
Pittsburgh comes to Denver off the back of a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday night. The loss didn't settle their case, but it also hurt the Avalanche's chances to stay ahead of the Stars.
The Pens as a whole are not the team they once were, a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference. Erik Karlsson couldn't solve all of the team's problems, and Sidney Crosby can't carry the team on his back all season and drag it into the playoffs.
Therefore, they are on the outside for the second year in a row. They need virtually everything to advance as they are nine points behind the Detroit Red Wings in the final standings. Can they begin a magical run at Ball Arena and extend their longest winning streak of the season?
projected line
Drew O'Connor (10) – Sidney Crosby (87) – Brian Rust (17)
Michael Bunting (8) – Evgeni Malkin (71) – Rickard Raquel (67)
Riley Smith (19) – Lars Eller (20) – Valtteri Puustinen (48)
Jesse Puljujarvi (18) – Noel Akkari (55) – Emil Bemström (52)
Pierre-Oliver Joseph (73) – Kris Letang (58)
Marcus Pettersson (28) – Erik Karlsson (65)
John Ludwig (7) – Jack St. Ivany (3)
goaltender
We'll likely see the Penguins' Tristian Jarry in net, and the Abs should have Alexander Georgiev in the crease. However, don't be surprised if Alex Nedeljković or Justus Anunen come to either of their respective teams, giving the usual number one player a day off.
