Colorado Avalanche (14-1-5) @ Nashville Predators (6-10-4)
6 p.m. MT | Bridgestone Arena | Watch: Altitude2, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)
After a perfect 4-0-0 homestand, the Avalanche begins a road back-to-back against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. This is the first of four regular-season meetings between the teams, as they’ll play in Nashville on December 9th and in Denver on December 13th and January 16th.
Latest Result (COL): NYR 3, COL 6
Latest Result (NSH): NSH 0, PIT 4
Two Points on Thursday
Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon each scored twice to help the Avalanche defeat the New York Rangers 6-3 on Thursday at Ball Arena to extend the team’s win streak to seven games. Brock Nelson and Ross Colton both added tallies for Colorado while Martin Necas posted three assists. New York’s J.T. Miller opened the scoring at 2:26 of the first period with a power-play goal via a net-front redirect. At 19:33 of the opening frame, MacKinnon tied the game with his 15th goal of the season when he cleaned up a rebound from the right doorstep. With that goal, MacKinnon recorded the 1,049th point of his career and passed Peter Stastny for the second most in franchise history. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead at 3:58 of the second period when Adam Edstrom scored with a shot from the doorstep off the rush. Makar tied the game with his seventh goal of the season at 17:15 of the middle frame via a wraparound from below the left goal line after receiving a feed from Necas. With the secondary assist on the goal, MacKinnon recorded the 668th helper of his career and tied Stastny for the second most in franchise history. Extending his goal streak to three games, Nelson gave the Avs a 3-2 lead on the power play at 2:36 of the third period with his sixth tally of the season via a shot from the high slot off the rush. On the goal, Scott Wedgewood picked up the secondary assist for his first-career NHL point. At 10:18 of the third period, Miller tied the game with his second power-play goal of the night via a net-front deflection. Just 30 seconds later, at 10:48 of the third period, MacKinnon gave the Avs a 4-3 lead via a backhand shot from the left slot after Makar’s right-point slap shot hit the post. At 18:35 of the third period, Makar doubled Colorado’s lead with his second goal of the game and eighth of the season via an empty-net tally from his own zone. Colton gave the Avs a 6-3 lead at 19:47 of the third period with his fourth goal of the season via an empty-net tally.
Leading the Way
Nate the Great
MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (36), is tied for first in goals (16) and tied for second in assists (20).
All Hail Cale
Makar leads all NHL defensemen in goals (8), assists (20) and points (28). Among all skaters, he’s tied for second in assists and tied for fifth in points.
Marty Party
Necas is tied for fifth in the NHL in points (28) and goals (13).
Series History
In 99 previous regular-season games against the Predators, the Avalanche has a record of 43-42-14. The teams have met twice in the playoffs, including in 2022, when the Avalanche swept the Predators in the Western Conference First Round.
Shutout in Sweden
The Predators lost 4-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. In the first period, Pittsburgh scored three times courtesy of goals from Parker Wotherspoon at 2:19, Evgeni Malkin at 8:08 and Sidney Crosby at 10:13. In the third period, Blake Lizotte added an empty-net goal at 17:12.
Tallying Points Against Tennessee's Team
MacKinnon has posted 46 points (19g/27a) in 38 regular-season games against the Predators in addition to 12 points (8g/4a) in 10 playoff contests.
In 20 games against Nashville, Nelson has recorded 16 points (7g/9a).
Makar has registered 23 points (6g/17a) in 15 regular-season contests against the Predators along with 10 points (3g/7a) in four playoff games.
Music City’s Scorers
Filip Forsberg leads Nashville in points (15) and goals (8) while being tied for second in assists (7).
Luke Evangelista leads Nashville in assists (8) and is tied for third in points (10).
Ryan O’Reilly is second on the Predators in points (13) while being tied for second in goals (6) and assists (7).
A Numbers Game
598
Nelson has posted 598 points (307g/291a) in his career and is two from becoming the 10th Minnesota-born player in NHL history to reach 600.
6
MacKinnon’s six games of at least three points this season are the most in the NHL.
.625%
Colorado’s .625 winning percentage when trailing first this season is the best in the league.
Quote That Left a Mark
“I think it’s no surprise. I think it was a matter of time, to be honest. He has a great shot and is such a good player in all areas of the game and it’s not always flashy and it’s not always on the scoresheet. I think he does a lot of things well away from the puck that doesn’t necessarily get recognized.”
-- Gabriel Landeskog on Brock Nelson starting to heat up offensively with a goal in each of his last three games
