Game 4 Projected Lineup: Avalanche vs. Flames

As of this morning, the Colorado Avalanche isn't planning on making any changes to its personnel for Game 4 of its playoff series against the Calgary Flames, but head coach Jared Bednar did leave open the possibility that his lineup could be different by puck drop.

"We have some game-time decisions up front," Bednar said following the club's pregame skate at Pepsi Center.
Goaltender Philipp Grubauer will once again start in net for the Avalanche. He has guarded the pipes in every game of the series so far, recording a 2.25 goals-against average and .928 save percentage.
The team's defense will also stay the same.
Center Derick Brassard and defenseman Samuel Girard will both miss their second straight games. Brassard is still ill, while Girard is out with an upper-body injury. Forward Sven Andrighetto and rookie blueliner Cale Makar entered the Avs' lineup on Wedneday.
Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup based on the start of Game 3. All forward combinations and defensive pairings are subject to change.

Forwards

92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 13 Alexander Kerfoot
22 Colin Wilson - 34 Carl Soderberg - 96 Mikko Rantanen
83 Matt Nieto - 37 J.T. Compher - 11 Matt Calvert
57 Gabriel Bourque - 17 Tyson Jost - 10 Sven Andrighetto

Defensemen

28 Ian Cole - 6 Erik Johnson
16 Nikita Zadorov - 4 Tyson Barrie
12 Patrik Nemeth - 8 Cale Makar

Goaltenders

31 Philipp Grubauer
1 Semyon Varlamov
Healthy Scratches:27 Ryan Graves, 44 Mark Barberio
Injury Report:18 Derick Brassard (ill), 49 Samuel Girard (upper body), 91 Vladislav Kamenev (shoulder)
Rookie defenseman Juuso Valimaki will enter the Calgary Flames' lineup this evening, making his NHL playoff debut. He will likely replace Oscar Fantenberg on a defensive pairing with Rasmus Andersson.
Valimaki recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in 24 games during the regular season. He was Calgary's first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Goaltender Mike Smith will get the start in net after making 50-of-56 saves in Game 4.
Below is the Flames' projected lineup, courtesy of
CalgaryFlames.com
.

Forwards

13 Johnny Gaudreau - 23 Sean Monahan - 28 Elias Lindholm\
19 Matthew Tkachuk - 11 Mikael Backlund - 67 Michael Frolik
93 Sam Bennett - 77 Mark Jankowski - 18 James Neal
88 Andrew Mangiapane - 10 Derek Ryan - 21 Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen

5 Mark Giordano - 7 TJ Brodie
55 Noah Hanifin - 24 Travis Hamonic
8 Juuso Valimaki - 4 Rasmus Andersson

Goaltenders

41 Mike Smith
33 David Rittich
Scratches:3 Oscar Fantenberg, 6 Dalton Prout, 26 Michael Stone, 27 Austin Czarni, 29 Dillon Dube, 32 Jon Gillies, 58 Oliver Kylington, 89 Alan Quine