Colorado is facing Chicago to open the season for the third time since relocating to Denver (also 2003-04 and 2010-11, both at Ball Arena). The Avs won both of those openers, picking up a 5-0 victory on Oct. 10, 2003, and earning a 4-3 win in overtime on Oct. 7, 2010.
The Blackhawks finished the 2020-21 campaign sixth in the Central Division and added some new faces during the offseason and are also welcoming back their captain Jonathan Toews.
Six players on Chicago's roster are expected to make their team debuts including forwards Henrik Borgstrom, Tyler Johnson and Jujhar Khaira, defensemen Seth Jones and Jake McCabe, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury while Toews is set to play his first game since Aug. 18, 2020, after he did not play last season while he was dealing with chronic immune response syndrome.
"It changes a lot when you add a goalie like Fleury back there, he is an elite goalie and we have seen a lot of him," Landeskog said. "But also, they have Patrick Kane, he is a game-changing talent, not even a talent but he's a superstar in this league, he can change a game on his own, so you got to keep an eye on him. And Toews, it's exciting to have a guy like that back in the league and back playing. He is a guy that has done it all for so many years that he adds another element to their lineup as well and Seth Jones adds another one on the backend."
The Avalanche finished the 2020-21 season with a 39-13-4 record (82 points), winning the West Division and Presidents' Trophy and finishing with its highest points percentage in franchise history (.732), breaking the previous mark of .720 set in 2000-01. But the team knows the 82-game campaign is a marathon, not a sprint.
"It is one day at a time and one game at a time, you just can't have it any other way. It sounds boring but it is what it is and that's how we approach it," said Landeskog. "For us, we had a good regular season last year, but nothing is going to carry over into this year, it's not going to happen automatically. We have to earn everything we get, and we have to establish ourselves again as a team and we are excited to do that."
Colorado begins its season at home for the fourth straight year, the 13th time in the last 16 seasons and for the 15th time in the last 19. Though unlike last year when the squad opened the campaign against the St. Louis Blues in an empty Ball Arena, the Avs will have the support of Avs Faithful behind them.
"I mean that is something we've really missed. Sometimes you don't realize what you have until its gone, right? That's the saying and that couldn't be any more true when it comes to our hockey fans," said Landeskog. "It brings so much to the atmosphere and after playing in empty building and half-empty buildings for over a year it is very exciting to bring them back in and see a full house tonight. It is going to be very exciting, and it will take some time to get used to but nonetheless very exciting."
