Projected Lineup: Avalanche at Kings
Logan O'Connor recalled from Colorado Eagles
by Ron Knabenbauer @RonKnab / ColoradoAvalanche.com
LOS ANGELES--The Colorado Avalanche looks to sweep a back-to-back set for a fifth time this season as the team faces off against the Los Angeles Kings tonight at Staples Center.
Colorado is in the midst of its 10th consecutive-night series of 2019-20 and won 1-0 at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. Goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped all 26 shots he faced for his first career NHL shutout, and J.T. Compher tallied the game's only score.
The Avs did not hold a morning skate today due to the back-to-back and the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers playing an afternoon contest at Staples Center, so the club's exact lineup won't be known until closer to game time.
Francouz is likely to start again this evening, as head coach Jared Bednar said prior to the trip that he's is thinking about playing the netminder in both contests in Southern California.
The Avalanche made a transaction with the AHL Colorado Eagles earlier in the day, recalling forward Logan O'Connor from its minor-league affiliate. It's unknown if O'Connor will suit up against the Kings. The Eagles are in the same region as the Avs, as they won 2-1 in overtime at the Ontario Reign on Friday night and play at the Bakersfield Condors this evening.
Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup based on the forward combinations and defensive pairings at the start of Friday's game in Anaheim. They are subject to change.
Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 95 Andre Burakovsky
13 Valeri Nichushkin - 37 J.T. Compher - 72 Joonas Donskoi
83 Matt Nieto - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 61 Martin Kaut
15 Sheldon Dries - 17 Tyson Jost - 81 Vladislav Kamenev
Defensemen
27 Ryan Graves - 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard - 16 Nikita Zadorov
28 Ian Cole - 6 Erik Johnson
Goaltenders
39 Pavel Francouz
32 Hunter Miska
Healthy Scratch: Mark Barberio, Logan O'Connor
Injury Report: Matt Calvert (lower body), Philipp Grubauer (lower body), Nazem Kadri (lower body), Mikko Rantanen (upper body), Colin Wilson (lower body)