After a rough northeastern road trip, the Av’s are back on home ice. Surprisingly this is the first time these two teams face off this year. Both the Av’s and Blues have not been amazing in their last ten games, with the Av’s going 4-5-1, and the blues 4-6-0. These past two days was the first real break they have had since the shocking Rantanen trade, and the first time for the trade acquisitions to get more used to their team, so don’t be surprised if you see a little extra out of Necas and Drury.
Starting goalies
The Avalanche are expected go with Mackenzie Blackwood for tonight’s game. Blackwoods save percentage hasn’t been great as of late, but is hoping to get back on track tonight. On the other end, Joel Hofer will get the nod. Hofer has a 0.908 save percentage this month, outplaying Binnington. An interesting metric is Hofer had a 0.889 save percentage on the road this season, which hopefully the Av’s can take control of.
Lines
Lehkonen - Mackinnon - Necas
Drouin - Mittelstadt - Parssinen
Wood - Drury - Colton
Kiviranta - Kelly - O’Connor
These lines will be very similar to the lines against the islanders. Valeri Nichuiskins injury has had another setback, and is now expected to rejoin the team towards the end of the 4 nations break. This break may be beneficial for the team, as the top stars will battle it out with their countries, the rest of the team will work on things with the extra time off. That will be a very good opportunity for Necas and Drury to get some chemistry with the rest of their team. As I said before, the team is going through a little bump in the road. This break will give them time to reset and push themselves to the playoffs, and hope to get a higher spot in the central.
This is my first ever article, and I have dreamed of one day becoming a sports analyst. I hope you have enjoyed my first writing. Jan 31, 2025 
Colorado Avalanche
