The Colorado Avalanche will be looking to dump a bucket of cold water of red-hot Flames.
Colorado welcomes Calgary to Ball Arena on Saturday, October 31, looking to extend its three-game home winning streak and build on Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche enter the matchup at 7-5-1, while the Flames are 6-7-0 and have struggled to find consistency away from home.
There is also a little unfinished business for Calgary. The Avalanche won the first meeting between these teams 7-3 on October 8, with Cale Makar scoring twice. The Flames have had some better results since then, but stopping Colorado's attack in Denver is a considerably different challenge.
The Avalanche look to have the edge on paper, but that does not mean Colorado can take this game lightly by any means.
Flames have improved, but their road form remains a concern
Calgary has shown signs of life after a difficult opening stretch. The Flames put together three consecutive wins over Minnesota, Detroit and Toronto before running into trouble against Edmonton, losing 4-0 on October 28.
However, the Flames bounced back with a solid 6-2 win on Friday over the Seattle Kraken behind Dustin Wolf, who took over for the injured Devin Cooley.
As such, the Avalanche will be facing another team coming off a game the night before, giving the Avs a clear edge.
Despite the back-to-back set for the Flames, the Avs will face a different team than they did a couple of weeks ago.
Calgary has demonstrated that it can compete with teams that have legitimate playoff ambitions, and its 5-2 victory over Toronto was particularly encouraging. The problem is that the Flames have not carried that form onto the road.
They have a 1-4-0 record away from home, and Saturday's visit to Ball Arena will not make things any easier. Colorado is 5-1-1 on home ice and has won its last three games in Denver.
The Flames also need to be careful about giving the Avalanche opportunities on special teams. Calgary has a respectable 33% power play, but it ranks among the league's more heavily penalized teams. Colorado has been effective when opponents spend too much time in the penalty box, making discipline an important part of this matchup.
Calgary does have some offensive players worth watching. Matvei Gridin has emerged as a productive contributor, recording five goals and five assists, while Aydar Suniev has also provided some scoring over the past 10 games. The Flames will need that production if they hope to keep pace.
Avalanche have some concerns of their own to keep in mind
There are some concerns on the Colorado side, though. Josh Manson is expected to miss an extended period with an ankle injury, while Zachary L'Heureux remains out with an upper-body issue. Logan O'Connor's availability is also worth monitoring after he missed Friday's practice for personal reasons.
Those absences could put additional pressure on Colorado's defensive depth. Against a Calgary team that has shown it can produce offense in recent games, the Avalanche cannot afford to get careless in their own zone.
Now, it’s worth noting that the Avs recalled Gavin Brindley from the Eagles on Friday. There is no indication that he will play on Saturday night, but that’s something to keep in mind.
Also, Noah Juulsen should draw into Manson’s place. He’ll likely play on the left side, with Brent Burns on the right side in the third pair.
As for the starting goalie, Jared Bednar might want to roll with Scott Wedgewood on Saturday night, with the Avalanche playing on Monday night in Chicago. Wedgewood was in the crease for the Avs’ last game against the Flames.
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