The Avalanche head to Calgary riding elite defense and steady goaltending, closing their final road trip while head coach Jared Bednar remains sidelined.
The Colorado Avalanche wrap up their final road trip of the 2025–26 regular season Tuesday night in Calgary, closing out a season series they’ve controlled from start to finish.
Colorado has taken both previous meetings, including a lopsided 9–2 win on March 30 and a more measured 3–1 result on April 9, and arrives at Scotiabank Saddledome riding a tight, defense-first stretch at the right time of year.
Grinding Out Wins Without Bednar
Their latest outing offered a snapshot of that formula.
Colorado edged the Edmonton Oilers 2–1 in a shootout Monday at Rogers Place, leaning heavily on Scott Wedgewood, who turned aside 30 of 31 shots. Nathan MacKinnon delivered the decisive moment, scoring the shootout winner after Valeri Nichushkin and Martin Nečas also converted.
Wedgewood’s calm presence was the backbone of the win, particularly as Edmonton pushed late and into the shootout.
“He was rock solid all the way through… it’s a continuation of what he’s done throughout the season,” assistant coach Dave Hakstol told The Hockey News postgame, reinforcing just how steady Wedgewood has been during this late push.
The night also carried personal significance for Brock Nelson, who skated in his 1,000th NHL game, marking the milestone in a tightly contested win that reflected the kind of hockey Colorado has leaned on down the stretch.
Sam Malinski accounted for Colorado’s lone regulation goal, finishing a Nicolas Roy feed from the left circle midway through the second period. Edmonton’s only response came off the stick of Connor McDavid later in the frame, but the Avalanche locked things down from there—killing off every Oilers power play and allowing little in the way of second chances.
That defensive commitment has quietly become one of Colorado’s defining traits down the stretch. Since April 4, they’ve allowed just 1.50 goals per game—the best mark in the league over that span—while also owning the NHL’s top penalty kill at 84.3 percent.
Still, the team continues to operate under unusual circumstances behind the bench.
Head coach Jared Bednar remains away from the club as he recovers from facial fractures and a corneal abrasion suffered in a recent game against Vegas. In his absence, Nolan Pratt and Hakstol have taken over bench duties, guiding the Avalanche through this final stretch of the regular season with a steady hand.
MacKinnon Driving The Push
Offensively, the story remains familiar.
MacKinnon continues to drive everything. His 52 goals lead the NHL, and his 126 points place him firmly among the league’s elite. Nečas isn’t far behind in overall production, sitting at 99 points, while contributions from players like Malinski have added unexpected depth—particularly from the blue line, where his recent scoring surge has stood out.
Calgary, meanwhile, enters Tuesday’s matchup coming off a 4–1 win over Utah. Matt Coronato and Connor Zary struck early to set the tone, while Mikael Backlund and Brayden Pachal extended the lead in the third period. The Flames have leaned on a balanced attack at home, with Coronato leading the team in points and Morgan Frost pacing them in goals.
Historically, the matchup has been competitive. In 136 regular-season meetings, Colorado holds a 68-54-8-6 edge, and the two teams last met in the playoffs in 2019, when the Avalanche dispatched Calgary in five games.
But this version of Colorado looks different—tighter defensively, confident in goal, and still powered by one of the most dynamic players in the sport.
With one final road test before the postseason, the Avalanche aren’t just trying to complete a season sweep. They’re sharpening the identity that could carry them into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
