Avs Looking to Rebound in Florida - Morning Skate Report

The Colorado Avalanche didn't open its current three-game road trip the way it would have liked to, but the team has another opportunity tonight against the Florida Panthers.
The Avs played its first road game of the year on Tuesday and fell 6-3 to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Colorado will conclude the three-game journey on Saturday at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Avalanche lineup will look different this evening compared to what it utilized against the Caps as its captain is back in the lineup after Gabriel Landeskog completed his two-game suspension.

"I think guys are in good spirits. We discussed the Washington game the other night, did not like it at all for a lot of reasons," head coach Jared Bednar said after this morning's skate. "We know we got to be better in a lot of different areas. Starts with, I think for me, just our skating and competitiveness, it just wasn't at the level where it needed to be.
"Guys are excited to get Gabe back in the lineup and get some of the structure that we kind of thought we'd have coming into the season back together here now with our lineup. Good opportunity against a real good team here in Florida. We got to come back and rebound after last game and put our best foot forward."

Florida has won each of its first three games of the year, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime to open the season and following that up with wins against the New York Islanders and Lightning.
The Panthers finished second in the Central Division in 2020-21, posting a 37-14-5 record for 79 points. With firepower throughout the lineup, they netted 188 goals in the 56-game campaign, tied for the fourth most in the league.
"I think there's a lot of things we can get better at as a team," said Landeskog. "As a group, we just haven't found the level of play that we need to be at. We end up playing from behind quite a bit, obviously that's something we're going to have to correct and have some better starts. There's a lot of things, but I think for us we know how good the Panthers are and they're a top team, they're going to be a top team in the East, and they were last year as well. Highly potent offensive team, so it's going to be a good test tonight."

JOHANSSON IN NET

Jonas Johansson will be between the pipes tonight for the first time this year after Darcy Kuemper was in net for each of Colorado's first three games.
Johansson finished the 2020-21 season with the Avs and posted a 5-1-1 record with a 2.06 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in eight appearances with the club.
Colorado will return to a traditional lineup of 12 forwards and six defensemen after going 11 and seven on Tuesday. The trio of Darren Helm, Tyson Jost and Logan O'Connor is expected to be the only forward line that remains the same as in the contest against the Caps.

"I have liked them a lot. I thought last game they were our best line for sure," said Bednar. "I thought it was Helm's best game--looked like he was moving, great anticipation, good speed to his game, using his skating and tenacity on pucks. Jost was the same, O'Connor was the same. They created the most chances I think out of our group and it's a positive sign.
"We want to try and keep those guys together moving forward and let them develop a little bit of chemistry. Saw it today in practice again, I liked what they were doing on some of the rush attacks and finishing some of those off. I think they are a good matchup line for us. They are all trusted, defensive guys and I think they can chip in against the right matchups and help us offensively as well. All three guys are obviously big on our penalty kill and we will see Josty a little bit on the power play here tonight as well."
View: Avalanche at Panthers Projected Lineup

NOTEWORTHY

Tonight is the first of two meetings between the Avalanche and Panthers in 2021-22. It is the Avalanche's first visit to South Florida in two years since Oct. 18, 2019 (5-4 Avs win).
Colorado is 13-3-2 in South Florida since 1995-96, and 15-3-2 when the two wins at Miami Arena in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final are included.
Five of the last 10 Calder Trophy winners are expected to play in tonight's game: Cale Makar (2019-20), Aaron Ekblad (2014-15), Nathan MacKinnon (2013-14), Jonathan Huberdeau (2012-13) and Gabriel Landeskog (2011-12). Not only do the Avs have the most Calder winners over the last 10 years, they also have the most since arriving in Denver (four, add Chris Drury in 1998-99) and the most since the Quebec Nordiques entered the league in 1979-80 (six--add Peter Forsberg in 1994-95 and Peter Stastny in 1980-81).
J.T. Compher leads the Avalanche with two goals and is tied for first on the team in scoring with four points (two goals, two assists). He tallied his sixth career shorthanded goal in Tuesday's loss to the Capitals, tying him for 10th place in franchise history.
Bowen Byram leads all Avalanche defensemen in scoring with three points (one goal, two assists) through three games. His three points are tied for the NHL rookie scoring lead.
Byram is only the third rookie defenseman in franchise history to register three or more points through the team's first three games of a season, joining Cale Makar in 2019-20 and Quebec's Jeff Brown in 1986-87.