Thursday night preview: Colorado Avalanche take on the Utah Hockey Club in divisional matchup

The Colorado Avalanche face the Utah Hockey Club for the first time during regular season play. The division rivals met during the preseason with the Hockey Club taking a 6-3 win.

This time around, the Avs are on a three-game winning streak. Granted, they’ve beaten teams like the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Still, the Avs have climbed back to a 3-4 mark, good enough to get within the fringe of the playoff race.

Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club is 4-2-1 coming off a shutout loss against the Ottawa Senators. The Senators exposed Utah’s weaknesses, namely how a hard-hitting, tight-checking team can derail the Hockey Club’s attack.

The contest should feature plenty of back-and-forth action as both teams have plenty of firepower to go around. Expect a high-scoring matchup. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a 5-4 or 6-5 game on Thursday night.

Notes ahead of the Colorado Avalanche’s tilt with the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center

Colorado Avalanche sans Calum Ritchie

Calum Ritchie has been officially sent back to the OHL. The announcement came on Wednesday, with the call being the right one for both the player and team. In a corresponding move, the Avs recalled Chris Wagner from the AHL. Wagner should fill in on the fourth line with Ivan Ivan and Mattew Stienburg.

The defense back at full strength

Devon Toews returned for the Avalanche’s last game against the Seattle Kraken. With his return, the defense is now at full strength. The third pairing should continue to be Calvin de Haan and Sam Malinski. Meanwhile, John Ludvig and Oliver Kylington will continue watching from the press box.

It’s a bit of a tough break for Ludvig who’d actually played reasonably well while filling in for the Toews. Ludvig should get another shot sooner rather than later. De Haan could get bumped out of the lineup unless he continues to show he can hang with the faster teams in the league.

Annunen gets the call

Justus Annunen has seemed to flip a switch. He’s had two strong starts, especially his last outing against the Seattle Kraken. Coach Jared Bednar will continue rolling with the hot hand, being Annunen. Annunen has seemingly taken the starting job. So, it remains to be seen just how much he can buckle down and be the number-one guy the Avalanche need at this point.