Morning Skate Report: Avalanche Ready For Challenging Winnipeg

WINNIPEG, Manitoba--As the Colorado Avalanche makes its final preparations for the first game of a season-long road trip, the team views the 10-day trek as an opportunity to test its mettle against some of top clubs in the NHL.
The Avs will visit five Canadian cities along the way, beginning tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg is presently second in the Central Division standings with 54 points, one behind division leader Nashville and six ahead of third-place Colorado (48 points).

"Big, strong, fast, deep team. Physical from a defensive standpoint, physical from an offensive standpoint," Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said of the Jets. "They get good goaltending. It's been a challenge to come in here and win for us, for a lot of teams I think."
Colorado stopped a six-game slide (0-4-2) with a 4-1 victory in its last game on Friday at home against the New York Rangers and looks to get back to its winning ways on the road. The team was 11-5-2 in its first 18 road contests of the year.
"I think we believe in this group that we could get out of this slump, and now it's on to the next one," said J.T. Compher of the mindset heading into the divisional matchup. "It's a good Winnipeg team, they play good at home. I think we're going to be ready for the challenge."
The contest in downtown Winnipeg will undoubtedly be a tough one for the Avalanche, as the team dropped both outings in Manitoba last season and fell 5-2 in the first meeting of the year at Bell MTS Place on Nov. 9.
"We're kicking off a road trip. We should have a little confidence coming out of the last game," Bednar said. "For me, it's a matter of coming in here to compete with the intent to win the hockey game. Put our history and recent history behind us in this building, and just live in the moment and try and take down a team we're trying to catch here in front of us in the standings."
Colorado's victory against New York was much needed in not only that it ended a losing streak but also for the club to get back to its identity. The Avs tallied twice early in the first period, scored three power-play goals overall and played with the pace that they are known for.
Forward Tyson Jost said the Avalanche needs to continue that strong play this evening versus a Jets squad that made it to the Western Conference Final a year ago.
"We're a quick team and when we play like that we're a tough team to beat," Jost said. "That is something that we emphasized before coming to this game. We just have to keep the momentum rolling from the New York game. We did a lot of good things and we want to bring that into the Winnipeg game tonight."

VIEW: Avalanche Projected Lineup vs. Winnipeg Jets

BEGINNING WITH A BACK-TO-BACK

Following tonight's game, the Avs travel west to play at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.
It is the seventh time that Colorado will play on consecutive days this season, and the team will play 11 such instances in 2018-19.
The Avalanche owns 3-2-1 records in both the first and second games of a back-to-back this year.
Colorado will likely split starts in net with its goaltenders Philipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov. Whoever doesn't play against the Jets will probably get the nod the next night versus the Flames.
Bednar did not discuss any lineup details in his pre-game media availability.

JUST ONE MORE

With one more goal each, forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen will hit two unique marks.
Only 42 games in, Landeskog is one tally shy of tying his career high. He is presently tied for the team lead with Nathan MacKinnon and fifth overall in the NHL with 25 goals on the campaign. Only Joe Sakic (29 in 1995-96) has scored more times through 42 team games in Avalanche history (since 1995).
Rantanen is one marker away from joining Landeskog and MacKinnon in the 20-goal club this season. It would also mark the third consecutive campaign that he achieved the feat. Chris Drury is the only other Avs players to score 20 or more goals in his first three NHL seasons, with Drury doing it in four straight from 1998-99 to 2001-02.