Game preview: Colorado Avalanche look to continue the win streak against the Chicago Blackhawks

The Colorado Avalanche take on the Chicago Blackhawks in an inter-divisional matchup on Monday night. The Avs are rolling with a five-game winning streak while the Blackhawks have struggled out of the gate.

The Colorado Avalanche look to make it six wins in a row as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night.
The Colorado Avalanche look to make it six wins in a row as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. / Steph Chambers/GettyImages

The Colorado Avalanche take on the Chicago Blackhawks in an inter-division showdown on Monday night at Ball Arena.

The chatter behind the Avs’ 0-4 start seems to have faded. While I’m still not totally convinced, the Avalanche looked like they’ve turned the page and have focused on getting the job done via fundamentals.

Moreover, Justus Annunen has taken the starting job by the horns, turning into a bona fide monster over the last few games.

So, with that in mind, let’s look at some key pointers ahead of Monday night’s tilt between the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Key points ahead of Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks Monday night matchup

Georgiev to get the call in goal

Alexandar Georgiev should get the call on Monday night. The Avs are coming off a 5-4 win against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. The game wasn’t as close as the score suggested, but Annunen did go the distance.

So, Georgiev should get the call, especially since the Blackhawks aren’t exactly the league’s most dangerous team at this point. A solid performance versus the Blackhawks should do well to boost Georgiev’s confidence.

No lineup changes expected

There are no lineup changes expected for Monday night’s tilt. The Avs should roll with the same lineup as Sunday night. Also, there are no injuries to report beyond the players currently on IR.

So, it seems like just another day at the office for the Colorado Avalanche.

Colton continues the hot streak

Ross Colton added another goal on Sunday night. He’s now tallied eight since joining the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. By the look of things, it will be extremely tough to take Colton off the top line once Jonathan Drouin returns.

Could Drouin move to the second line upon his return, for instance? That’s something that coach Jared Bednar will need to consider as Drouin nears return.

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