It is the first of three games between the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers in the next five weeks.

The Colorado Avalanche face off against the Edmonton Oilers for the first time this season and will face them twice in April as the season comes to an end — April 5 at Rogers Place and April 18 at Ball Arena. 

All eyes will be on the Hart Trophy candidates — Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. MacKinnon enters Saturday night's matchup as the NHL points leader with 115, while McDavid sits in the No. 3 spot with 106. 

In five fewer games played than MacKinnon, McDavid leads the league in assists with 81. Colorado's elite center is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov in the No. 2 spot with 73. 

The Avs have won their last five games and MacKinnon is riding a 14-game point streak. He has notched 30 points during his run and if he continues with at least a point against the Oilers, it will be his second 15-game point streak this season.

MacKinnon is not the only Avs player who has consecutively gotten on the scoresheet. Mikko Rantanen is on an 11-game point streak with two four-point games included. 

The Avalanche fought hard to stage a 4-3 overtime comeback win against the top team in the Western Conference on Wednesday night — and they did it missing three key forwards. Head coach Jared Bednar said Artturi Lehkonen, Jonathan Drouin and Zach Parise will return to the lineup after missing the victory over the Vancouver Canucks. 

The Oilers and Avalanche have been slated as potential Stanley Cup contenders  throughout the season. Edmonton sits in second place in the Pacific Division with 83 points, while Colorado barely trails the Winnipeg Jets for the No. 1 spot in the Central Division and the Dallas Stars are looming right below the Avs — all with 89 points. 

"We need to be on our toes, and getting into attack mode," Bednar told the media after morning skate. "You have to be dialed in on your details and your checking game and you've got to be ready to skate and you've got to take away time and space from these guys, if you give them too much room, they'll pick you apart." 

Bednar said Cale Makar and Ross Colton were "under the weather" but is hopeful both will be able to play, according to Altitude Sports play-by-play announcer Conor McGahey. 

Projected lineup

Valerie Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Artturi Lehkonen — Casey Mittelstadt — Jonathan Drouin
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Zach Parise
Brandon Duhaime — Andrew Cogliano — Yakov Trenin

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Jack Johnson — Sean Walker

Alexandar Georgiev
Justus Annunen

The puck drops at 8 p.m. MT. 

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