PREVIEW: Detroit begins four-game road trip Wednesday in Colorado

COLORADO -- The Detroit Red Wings will begin a four-game road trip on Wednesday night, first traveling west to face the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.

Broadcast coverage of Wednesday’s game (9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. MT) will be carried exclusively on TNT and streamed on MAX, flagshipped by 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit.

After concluding the season series against the Avalanche (38-20-5; 81 points) on Wednesday, the Red Wings (33-22-6; 72 points) will visit the Arizona Coyotes (25-32-5; 55 points) on Friday and the defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights (33-22-7; 73 points) on Saturday before concluding their road trip against the Buffalo Sabres (29-29-4; 62 points) next Tuesday (March 12).

“We got to come ready to play right from the first game on the road trip,” Joe Veleno said. “Colorado is a world-class team and one of the best in the league.”

Detroit lost captain Dylan Larkin (lower body) to injury midway through the third period of Saturday’s 4-0 shutout loss to the NHL-leading Florida Panthers. Larkin, who leads the Red Wings in goals (26) and points (54) this season, will be out approximately two weeks, according to head coach Derek Lalonde.

“If we’re going to be successful, especially with Dylan out, it’s about keeping it out of our net,” Lalonde said. “The game is so mental, certainly no shame losing to the Islanders and Panthers. Florida is beating everyone right now, but now you’re looking at a two-game losing streak and you’re on the road at Colorado undermanned a little bit.”

Against the Avalanche, Veleno is expected to center the Red Wings’ top line between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat in Larkin’s absence. Through 59 games this season, his second full campaign with Detroit, Veleno already has set career-highs in goals (11) and points (26).

“I still want to play my game and what’s given me success,” Veleno said about getting another top-line opportunity this season. “Obviously (Kane and DeBrincat) are two highly skilled players who demand the puck, so I’m definitely going to try to be strong on pucks, win some battles and make them play with the puck like they want to. Just going to try to help them out in any way I can.”

Currently third in the Western Conference’s Central Division, Colorado has won three of its last four games and most recently blanked the Chicago Blackhawks, 5-0, on Monday to start a three-game homestand.

Nathan MacKinnon recorded four points (two goals, two assists) on Monday, extending his season-opening home point streak to 30 consecutive games. It’s the sixth-longest such streak in NHL history and longest since Mario Lemieux’s 31-game run in 1995-96.

“He’s just a player you’re never going to completely shut down,” Lalonde said about MacKinnon, who is tied for first in NHL scoring with 105 points (39 goals, 66 assists) this season. “You have to contain him…He’s a different animal.”

Mikko Rantanen (31-48—79) is riding a seven-game point streak with two goals and seven assists in that span, while Cale Makar (14-52—66) has six points in his last five games. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev has made 49 starts for the Avalanche this season, and his 31 wins are tied for the second-most in the NHL.

In the first meeting this season, Detroit outlasted Colorado, 2-1, in overtime at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 22. The Avalanche come into Wednesday’s matchup scoring an NHL-best 3.65 goals per game.

“They’re a good team that plays well at home,” Jeff Petry said about the Avalanche, who are 24-6-0 at Ball Arena this season. “I think we played a good game at home against them. Now, our focus is cleaning up a few things from our last couple (games) and making sure we’re connected and ready to go because they’re a team that can capitalize offensively.”