Colorado has played much better at home than on the road this season and is looking to continue that trend against Toronto.
Colorado has played much better at home than on the road this season and is looking to continue that trend against Toronto.
There's no place like home and Ball Arena has a special touch for the Colorado Avalanche. Coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, the Avs are back on home ice where they have only lost five games this season.
"I like the energy that we've played with. I like our attack mentality at home. I think we're more disruptive up the ice for me. We're challenging teams to make plays around us with our checking up ice," head coach Jared Bednar said. "We seem to have a little bit more energy in our home building and special teams have been good here as well. So, I mean, when you put the whole package together just gives you a little bit of an edge when it comes from our home games to our road games right now."
The Avalanche beat the Leafs 5-3 in Toronto on Jan. 13, which was one of only 13 wins the team has earned on the road. Bednar said his team will face a tough matchup with the Leafs and the league's leading goal scorer Auston Matthews.
"Whatever he gets in the offensive zone if you give him a shot, he's liable to score on it. I mean, big, strong, hard on pucks, likes to bring pucks to the net himself and he heads to the net whenever he doesn't have the puck. He's finding space," Bednar said about the Leafs' forward. "So you got to be aware of all the time in the offensive zone. Everything he shoots is going in the net."
Colorado did not practice yesterday and did not have a morning skate with an early evening start time, but Bednar does not think that will affect his team's game.
"I mean, I think it should be a little rest for our group and guys are doing what they need to do today to get ready for the five o'clock start," Bednar said.
Nathan MacKinnon could extend his home-scoring point streak to 28 as he has gotten on the scoresheet in every game at Ball Arena since the season began.
Projected lineup
Jonathan Drouin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O’Connor
Artturi Lehkonen — Ryan Johansen — Zach Parise
Andrew Cogliano — Chris Wagner — Joel Kiviranta
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Jack Johnson — Bowen Byram
Alexandar Georgiev
Justus Annunen
The puck drops at 5 p.m. MT.
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