The Vancouver Canucks wrap-up their road schedule with a Thursday night matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.
Thursday’s game will be the third game between the Canucks and Avs this season. The Canucks have won the two previous meetings by scores of 3-1 and 3-0.
Aatu Räty scored a goal in the final minute of Tuesday’s game, and he has been red-hot of late. The 22-year-old centre has had five goals in his last seven games and is one of the young players who has been showing well recently.
Pius Suter scored two goals in Tuesday’s win and is now up to 24 goals on the year. The versatile forward continues to play well at even-strength and on the penalty kill. Suter has been playing up the lineup due to injuries around him, and he has averaged 21:05 of ice time over his last nine games.
The Avalanche have played good hockey over the past week and won three of their past four games. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Charlie Coyle each had six points in the Avalanche’s previous four games.
Quick Hits on the Competition
- MacKinnon has 116 points through 79 games played and is a Hart Trophy candidate this year.
- Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin join MacKinnon on the Avalanche’s top line.
- Their second line is centred by trade deadline pick-up Brock Nelson, with Joel Kiviranta and Logan O’Connor flanking.
- Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar has 91 points this season and averages 25:42 of ice time per game.
- The Avalanche have had six different goaltenders make a start for them this season, but Mackenzie Blackwood leads the way with 34 starts. Blackwood has a 22-10-3 record with a .916% save percentage, 2.23 goals-against average, and three shutouts.
- Martin Necas was acquired in the first Mikko Rantanen trade this season. Necas has 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 27 games with the Avs. Necas is listed as day-to-day and may not play on Thursday.
- The Avs rank 8th in the league on the power play and are scoring on 24.8% of their opportunities.
- As for their shorthanded unit, they rank 14th and are killing off 79.5% of their penalties.
The Story: Sherwood’s Strong Season
Kiefer Sherwood scored the 6-5 overtime winner in the Tuesday game against the Dallas Stars, and you can bet he’s excited about facing the Avalanche on Thursday. Sherwood has a career-high 18 goals this season and had a natural hat trick against the Avalanche earlier this season.
