Colorado Avalanche (3-0-1) @ Columbus Blue Jackets (1-2-0)
5:00 p.m. MT | National Arena | Watch: Altitude, Altitude+ | Listen: Radio Sports Altitude (92.5 FM)
After a morning victory Monday against the Buffalo Sabres, the Avalanche will travel to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets. This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season, as they will play in Denver on January 10.
Last result (COL): COL 3, BUF 1
Last result (CBJ): NJD 3, CBJ 2
Winning in Western New York
Nathan MacKinnon scored his third and fourth goals of the season while Scott Wedgewood stopped 28 of 29 shots he faced to help the Avalanche beat the Sabers 3-1 on Monday at KeyBank Center. MacKinnon opened the scoring at 3:14 of the first period after an incredible set of skillful moves led to him finding the back of the net with a no-look backhand shot from the left slot. Buffalo’s Tage Thompson tied the game with a wrist shot from inside the blue line at 16:32 of the first period. Cale Makar gave the Avs a 2-1 lead at 4:32 of the second period with his first goal of the season on a shot from the right doorstep set up by Valeri Nichushkin’s pass. With the teams playing four-on-four, MacKinnon scored his second goal of the game to give the Avs a 3-1 lead via a wrist shot from the left circle.
Lead the way
Nate the Great
MacKinnon is tied for third in the league in points (8) and goals (4).
I salute you Cale
Makar is tied for first among NHL defensemen in points (5) and assists (4).
Marty Day
Necas is tied for third in the league in points (8) and fifth in assists (5).
History of the series
In 69 previous games against the Blue Jackets, the Avalanche are 44-19-6, including 1-1-0 last season.
Defeated by the Devils
The Blue Jackets lost to the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Monday at Nationwide Arena. New Jersey’s Timo Meier opened the scoring with a power play goal at 15:47 of the first period. The Blue Jackets tied the game with a goal from Kirill Marchenko at 8:49 of the second period. Dawson Mercer gave the Devils a 2-1 lead with a power play at 11:09 of the second period. New Jersey doubled its lead at 19:03 of the third period when Mercer scored an empty-net goal. Dmitri Voronkov allowed the Blue Jackets to score at 19:39 of the third period.
Contribute against Columbus
MacKinnon scored 26 points (7g/19a) in 21 games against the Blue Jackets.
In eight games against Columbus, Makar recorded 15 points (5g/10a).
Gabriel Landeskog recorded 14 points (8g/6a) in 20 games against the Blue Jackets.
Capital scorers
Marchenko leads the Blue Jackets in goals (4) and is tied for first on the team in points (4).
Voronkov is tied for first on the team in points (4) and assists (2) while being second in goals (2).
Zach Werenski is tied for first on the team in assists (2) while being tied for third in points (3) and goals (1).
A numbers game
400
Makar is expected to play in his 400th NHL game on Thursday. In his previous 399 contests, he posted 433 points (117g/316a).
98
Brock Nelson scored 98 goals in 283 games against Metropolitan Division teams.
127
Since his NHL debut in the 2017-18 season, Necas’ 127 goals rank third among Czech-born players.
Quote that left a mark
“It was great. We built on the last game, I thought. He creates so much time and space for me on his delays. I try to let him do a lot of things off the run because he’s so good at it and he’s so good at hitting deep. It’s really fun to play with him. Obviously [Artturi Lehkonen] makes all this possible with its itineraries and its presence on the internet. We can’t have three guys buzzing around on the outside, so we need someone in the paint and that’s what Lehky does. »
— Nathan MacKinnon on his chemistry with Martin Necas and the importance of Artturi Lehkonen in their lineage’s success
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