Projected Lineup: Avalanche vs. Jets
Philipp Grubauer will start in net for Colorado
by Callie Parmele @CallieParmele / ColoradoAvalanche.com
The only change the Colorado Avalanche is expected to make to its lineup tonight is in net as Philipp Grubauer will be back between the pipes against the Winnipeg Jets in the Avs' last home game of the regular season.
Grubauer started a career-high eight consecutive games from March 17 to April 1, posting a 6-0-2 record with a 1.59 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in that span. That streak ended on Tuesday when Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves in the Avalanche's 6-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers.
Colorado is 7-0-2 in its last nine contests and 14-5-3 in its previous 22 outings. The team has won a season-high five straight at Pepsi Center and is 10-2-1 in its last 13 in the Mile High City.
The Avs can clinch a berth in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs by earning one point against Winnipeg or if the Arizona Coyotes, who are four points being Colorado, loses to the Golden Knights in Vegas this evening.
Tonight's game concludes the five-game season series with the Jets. Colorado is 2-2-0 against Winnipeg so far this season, falling in the first two meetings before winning the last two by a combined 11-2 margin. It is the second matchup in Denver between the clubs, with the Avalanche winning the first contest 7-1 on Feb. 20.
Below is the Avalanche's projected lineup based on the forward combinations and defensive pairings from its last game on Tuesday versus the Oilers. They are subject to change.
Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 13 Alexander Kerfoot
22 Colin Wilson - 34 Carl Soderberg - 37 J.T. Compher
83 Matt Nieto - 18 Derick Brassard - 11 Matt Calvert
10 Sven Andrighetto - 17 Tyson Jost - 57 Gabriel Bourque
Defensemen
49 Samuel Girard - 6 Erik Johnson
26 Nikita Zadorov - 4 Tyson Barrie
28 Ian Cole - 12 Patrik Nemeth
Goaltenders
31 Philipp Grubauer
1 Semyon Varlamov
Healthy Scratches: 26 Andrew Agozzino, 27 Ryan Graves, 44 Mark Barberio
Injury Report: 91 Vladislav Kamenev (shoulder), 96 Mikko Rantanen (upper body)