The Avalanche face the New Jersey Devils on the second game of a back-to-back, which will be the first time Miles Wood is back in his old barn since joining the team.

After a disappointing overtime loss to the New York Rangers last night, the Colorado Avalanche are back at it against the New Jersey Devils tonight. 

It will be the first time forward Miles Wood returns to the Prudential Center in burgundy and blue since signing a six-year deal worth $15 million on July 1.

"I'm excited but at the end of the day, it's just another game that we're trying to win here," Wood said when the Avs played the Devils at Ball Arena on Nov. 7. "I guess it's a little special but ... as soon as the puck drops, it's game time." 

Wood has had success on a line with Ross Colton and Logan O'Connor which has helped the Avalanche lead the Central Division as of late. O'Connor scored two goals in the 5-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings — the team's last game before the break. Wood and Colton assisted on one of the goals that O'Connor credited them for his success. 

"It's been good lately ... I think it was good to get these two home wins, it was big," Mikko Rantanen said after the final game against the LA Kings before the break. "But it's good — feels better to go on the break when you're playing well."

While the Avalanche jumped right back into play after the All-Star Break, the Devils haven't played since Jan. 27 — a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Energy and intensity could be lacking for the Devils but same could be said for the Avalanche. 

“We're off for the 10-day break so it will take the team a couple games to get fully back but I want it to come quickly," head coach Jared Bednar said after the loss to the Rangers. "Like I said before, the team that’s going to carve out the most points coming out of the break is the one that gets back to where they were before they left.”

Nathan MacKinnon scored the lone goal against the Rangers extending his point streak to 14 games. 

The Avs beat the Devils in their first meeting 6-3 on Nov. 7. Rantanen had a three-point game while Wood notched two in the first matchup against his old team. 

Projected lineup

The Avalanche did not have a morning skate due to the back-to-back but Bednar said after the Rangers game that starting Justus Annunen was a possibility. 

Jonathan Drouin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Zach Parise — Ryan Johansen — Artturi Lehkonen
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O'Connor
Andrew Cogliano — Fredrik Olofsson — Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Samuel Girard — Josh Manson
Bowen Byram — Jack Johnson

Justus Annunen
Alexandar Georgiev

The puck drops at 5:30 MT for the final matchup between the teams this season. 

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