DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche will host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at Ball Arena in a nationally televised matchup, with the game airing on ESPN and streaming simultaneously on Amazon Prime.

While it has not been officially confirmed, Sidney Crosby participated fully in Pittsburgh’s morning skate and could return to the lineup after missing time with an injury sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympics following a collision with Radko Gudas.

The game also would have marked the first matchup against his former club for Sam Girard since being traded to Pittsburgh. Girard, who helped Colorado capture the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, is expected to be in attendance but not in the lineup.

Colorado enters the contest looking to bounce back after a loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has quietly gained ground in the Metropolitan Division standings and currently sits in second place.

Colorado did not undergo the major roster overhaul seen last season near the trade deadline, but several midseason moves have introduced new faces to the lineup.

Brett Kulak has stepped into the defensive rotation following the Girard trade, while Nazem Kadri returned to Colorado as part of the deal that sent Victor Olofsson the other direction. Kadri has quickly reestablished chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon and already looks comfortable back in Colorado’s system.

Another addition, Nicolas Roy, has made an early impact with a pair of power-play goals, giving the Avalanche another net-front presence on an already dangerous special teams unit.

In goal, the plan entering the season was for MacKenzie Blackwood to carry the starting workload. However, Scott Wedgewood has taken advantage of recent opportunities while Blackwood continues to work back to full form following offseason surgery. Wedgewood’s strong play has provided Colorado with consistent goaltending in recent weeks.

Nazem Kadri — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas

Joel Kiviranta — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin

Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Nicolas Roy

Zakhar Bardakov — Gavin Brindley

Devon Toews — Cale Makar

Josh Manson — Brent Burns

Brett Kulak — Sam Malinski

Nick Blankenburg

Scott Wedgewood

MacKenzie Blackwood

The Penguins have continued to collect points since the Olympic break despite missing their captain for several games. Their recent stretch of wins has pushed them up the standings and strengthened their position in the Metropolitan Division playoff race.

Girard will likely receive a tribute video during the game, recognizing his role in Colorado’s 2022 championship run and his contributions during his time with the organization.

Crosby’s participation in the morning skate also raises the possibility of another highly anticipated matchup between the Nova Scotia natives Crosby and MacKinnon — a rivalry that consistently delivers high-level hockey. However, Girard was also a full participant at morning skate and won't be in the lineup, so ere on the side of disappointment.

Anthony Mantha — Rickard Rakell — Bryan Rust

Egor Chinakhov — Tommy Novak — Evgeni Malkin

Ville Koivunen — Ben Kindel — Justin Brazeau

Elmer Soderblom — Connor Dewar — Noel Acciari

Parker Wotherspoon — Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea — Kris Letang

Ilya Solovyov — Connor Clifton

Arturs Silovs

Stuart Skinner