The Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings square off in L.A. on Wednesday to open up their 2023-24 season. The Avalanche are hoping for a better season as they got knocked out of the 2022-23 playoffs in the first round. The Kings also, in fact, got knocked out in the first round. Both teams certainly want to make sure that does not happen again.
That starts tonight. While it will be a long 82-game season, it is important to get on a hot streak, and what better time to do that than the present?
Colorado will be rolling out Alexandar Georgiev in the net on Wednesday. Georgiev has been the starter since being traded from the Rangers following the departure of Darcy Kuemper.
The Colorado Avalanche are 1.5-point favorites in the season-opener. That’s a good way to start the season. The best-case scenario is that the Avalanche win by a goal or two and go into San Jose hungry for more; hungry like…. A shark.
Per FanDuel, Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon is the favorite in the “anytime goal scorer” category at +120. Mikko Rantanen comes in second at +125.
Given that the first two likely goal scorers are Avalanche players, it aligns with the odds that the Avalanche are going to win this game.
Now, of course, Nathan MacKinnon is going to get his fair share of shots on goal. The thing is, how many? One of the things you can bet on is MacKinnon having an eight-shot game. He is the only player you can bet on for this category, implying that FanDuel thinks that he is the only one who can accomplish this. It makes a lot of sense, as he’s a demon in the offensive zone.
Kurtis MacDermid, who the Avalanche have been practicing as a forward this offseason, will play. Andrew Cogliano, still nursing an injury, will not play. Justus Annunen will back up Georgiev.
Hockey season is back, Avs fans! Hopefully, the team can pull off the victory on Wednesday. Sit back and enjoy the game!