DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche look to get back on track at Ball Arena after falling to the Dallas Stars 3-2 in a shootout, while the Pittsburgh Penguins enter the matchup coming off a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado has several favorable individual matchups to lean on, including Nathan MacKinnon’s consistent production against Pittsburgh and Brock Nelson’s strong career numbers against the Penguins. Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to get the start in goal for the Avalanche.

This game will also mark the debut behind the bench for new Avalanche assistant coach Brett McLean, who takes over for Dave Hakstol, who accepted a new position to take over as head coach of the Arizona State Dun Devils on Thursday.

MacKinnon has recorded 19 points in his last 10 games against Pittsburgh, totaling seven goals and 11 assists. He has also been productive league-wide this season, ranking among the NHL’s top scorers with 12 points, including five goals and seven assists. Martin Necas is another player with a history of success against the Penguins, having scored twice in Colorado’s 6-2 win over Pittsburgh on March 24.

Nelson enters the contest after scoring against Dallas on Wednesday. He has amassed 41 career points against Pittsburgh, with 21 goals and 20 assists, and has nine points in 11 career playoff games against the Penguins, including six goals and three assists.

Colorado will need its offense to deliver after Wednesday’s narrow defeat. The Avalanche had two goals disallowed before Gabriel Landeskog finally opened the scoring at 4:55 of the second period, redirecting a pass from Nazem Kadri for his second goal of the season. Dallas responded through Miro Heiskanen at 15:03, sending the teams into the third period tied 1-1.

The Stars moved ahead early in the final frame when Arttu Hyry scored shorthanded on a breakaway just 1:20 into the period following a costly turnover from Cale Makar, whose wife, Tracy, had given birth to two twin boys earlier in the day.

Nelson tied the game at 8:21 with a finish from the left doorstep, but neither team found another goal in regulation or overtime. In the shootout, Jason Robertson scored for Dallas in the first round, Kadri answered for Colorado in the second, and Roope Hintz delivered the coup de grace in the finale Scott Wedgewood, in his second start of the season, finished with 20 saves on 22 shots for the Avalanche.

The goaltending matchup could play a significant role in determining the outcome. Blackwood has a 2-6-1 career record against Pittsburgh across 10 games, with a 3.81 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage. In his most recent appearance against the Penguins, he allowed four goals on 15 shots.

Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs has faced Colorado only twice in his career, posting a 1-1-0 record, a 3.50 goals-against average and an .875 save percentage. He stopped 25 of 27 shots in his win over the Avalanche, although the limited sample size makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions from his previous performances.

The Penguins have received much of their offensive production from Erik Karlsson, who leads the team with seven points, all assists. Robertson leads Pittsburgh with four goals and four total points, while Samuel Girard has six points, including five assists.

Pittsburgh enters this matchup following a disappointing performance against the Blackhawks. They got off to a rough start after allowing a goal just 28 seconds into the game to Teuvo Teravainen. Sidney Crosby added two goals, but it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh rallied from down 3-1 to tie up the game, but Chicago surged late to put the Penguins away with a final score of 5-3. 

Colorado holds a strong historical advantage in the regular-season series, with a 26-12-3-6 record across 47 meetings with Pittsburgh. With both teams coming off losses, the Avalanche will look to use home ice to their advantage and end this homestand on a positive note before they head to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Monday.