The Colorado Avalanche won’t have much time to lick their wounds following Monday night's frustrating loss in Philadelphia.
The Avs will roll into the Prudential Center on Tuesday night, looking to close their brief East Coast road trip. The goal will be to bounce back against a Devils team that’s also found it difficult to string consistent outings together.
Colorado enters at 5-3-1 after falling 3-2 to the Flyers, while New Jersey is 4-4-0 following a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Washington Capitals.
The Avalanche will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back set. However, the bigger question is whether they can turn things around quickly and avoid falling into a two-game losing streak, before packing up and heading back to Ball Arena.
Avalanche need a better defensive effort against Devils
Colorado's loss in Philadelphia was particularly frustrating because the Avalanche could have taken over the game, but just couldn’t control the pace consistently.
Martin Necas and T.J. Hughes scored, yet the team ultimately came up short against a Flyers club that hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire. While the game itself wasn’t awful, the team could have done much better.
That challenge will not get easier against New Jersey. If the Avalanche don’t stop the Devils’ top-heavy attack, the game could get into a slugfest early on.
The Avalanche should have an advantage if Nathan MacKinnon can dictate the pace. He has been producing at an elite rate, with 16 points through Colorado's first nine games, while Martin Necas has also provided important secondary offense. Artturi Lehkonen's finishing ability gives the top line another threat.
Overall, the Avalanche don’t need to win a 7-6 shootout. But they do need to ensure the scoring is there, while playing a solid defensive game in front of likely starter Scott Wedgewood.
Scott Wedgewood should get the start in second half of back-to-back set
With the Avalanche playing on consecutive nights, Scott Wedgewood is projected to start in goal after Mackenzie Blackwood played against Philadelphia. Wedgewood has posted a .902 save percentage in his early appearances, giving Colorado a credible option to help manage its goaltending workload. The starting assignment remains subject to confirmation.
Wedgewood will need support from the defense. Colorado cannot expect its goaltenders to consistently compensate for loose coverage, especially with Zachary L'Heureux and Nicolas Roy unavailable and Logan O'Connor still on injured reserve. Those absences also leave the Avalanche with fewer forward options and less flexibility across the lineup.
New Jersey has problems of its own. The Devils had an embarrassing 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders earlier this season, with a tough 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Ottawa Senators highlighting their lack of offense.
Now, it seemed like the Devils turned things around with a 7-1 thumping of the New York Rangers, but followed that up with a 4-2 loss to the Capitals in their last outing.
That situation means that the Avalanche won’t really know which Devils team they are going to face. So, why take any chances? The Avs will need to look at opening up a big lead early, and then shutting down the game the rest of the way.
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