Game Preview: Avalanche at Lightning

COLORADO AVALANCHE (27-18-4) AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (32-16-2)
5 PM MT | AMALIE ARENAWATCH: ESPN+LISTEN: 92.5FM/950 AM
The Colorado Avalanche will face off against last year's runner up, the Tampa Bay Lightning, for the first time since the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. MT. The teams will play again next Tuesday at Ball Arena at 7 p.m. MT.

LAST TIME OUT

The Avalanche fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday night in the teams' first of two matchups. Center Nathan MacKinnon scored the team's lone goal. Goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced.
The Lightning lost to the San Jose Sharks 4-3 Tuesday night, also in overtime. Centers Ross Colton and Brayden Point scored for Tampa Bay, with Point finding the back of the net twice. Goalie Brian Elliott turned away 18 of the 22 shots that came his way.

HISTORY

Colorado is 25-18-6 all-time against Tampa Bay, including an overall 20-13-6 record and 11-5-4 record at home since the franchise relocated to Denver. The Avs took down the Lightning in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals this past season, outscoring Tampa Bay 20-15.

CONNECTIONS

Forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare played for the Avalanche during the 2019-2020 and 2020-21 seasons, appearing in 112 games and compiling 18 goals and 15 assists.
Defenseman Callan Foote is the son of former Av and Hall of Famer Adam Foote.

SCOUTING THE LIGHTNING

Forward Nikita Kucherov paces Tampa Bay with 75 points (20g/55a) in 50 games played. Centers Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos are tied for second on the team in points with 57. Point's 31 goals leads the Lightning, while Stamkos' 33 assists are second on the team.

LINEUP UPDATES

Avalanche

Darren HelmLower body
Gabriel LandeskogLower body
Cale Makar Upper body
Josh MansonLower body

DOING THE MOST

Center Nathan MacKinnon leads Colorado in active points against Tampa Bay with 23 (10g/13a) in 15 appearances. Forward Gabriel Landeskog is second with 18 (7g/11a) in 17 contests.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Center Steven Stamkos is the Lightning's active leader in points against the Avs, with 15 (8g/7a) in 19 outings. Defenseman Victor Hedman is second on the team with 14 (2g/12a) in 20 games played.

STATS FOR KEEPS

Name | GP | GS | Record (W-L-OT) | GAA
Colorado
Pavel Francouz | 15 | 15 | 7-7-1 | 2.53
Alexandar Georgiev | 34 | 34 | 20-11-3 | 2.60
Tampa Bay
Brian Elliott | 13 | 13 | 9-3-1 | 3.14
Andrei Vasilevskiy | 37 | 37 | 23-13-1 | 2.63

NUMBERS GAME

1.45

After finding the back of the net on Tuesday Nathan MacKinnon is fourth in the NHL in points-per-game (1.45), only behind Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid.

51

Nathan MacKinnon's goal was his 51st career game-opening goal, passing Peter Stastny (50) for the fourth-most in franchise history. Only Joe Sakic (117), Milan Hejduk (66) and Michel Goulet (53) have more.

3x3

Defenseman Bowen Byram made his return to the lineup Tuesday Night after missing 38 games with a lower-body injury. Byram recorded an assist, three hits and three blocked shots in his return to action. His three blocked shots matched his career best (a mark he's hit five times now), the last of which was in the last game he played - Nov. 4 in the team's first of two games in the Global Series versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.

QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK

"I thought we played hard. Everyone was playing hard. Wasn't a lack of effort tonight, which is good. Overall, I thought we played a pretty good game." - Center Nathan MacKinnon on the team's play Tuesday evening