Avalanche vs Flyers predictions & game preview
The Colorado Avalanche fly in to the Wells Fargo Center to take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Colorado Avalanche are on a decent run right now. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games despite dropping their last game by a 5-2 score to the Boston Bruins.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVe8RPwlDf4[/embed]
Today will be their second and final game against the Philadelphia Flyers this season. On Dec. 9 the Flyers defeated the Avalanche 5-2. Travis Konecny scored two goals for the Flyers in that game while Nathan MacKinnon and Josh Manson were the only Avalanche players to get the puck past Carter Hart.
Leading the charge for the Avalanche is MacKinnon — who has seven points in his last five games. Mikko Rantanen has found the magic touch lately, tallying up three goals in that same five-game span. Cale Makar can become the second fastest defenseman to reach 300 career points tonight. He came up one shy Thursday night against the Bruins.
Key to the game
The Flyers are hot with their current five-game winning streak. They have a dynamic duo that they need to shut down: Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny. They are the Flyers' two most dangerous offensive players — and the Avalanche need to be on high alert whenever they are on the ice.
It won't be enough to just play the body against these players. They'll need to tie up their sticks without taking hooking or holding penalties. If they can shut those players down, they should be able to generate enough offense to win the game.
Game Predictions
- First goal: Nathan MacKinnon
- Most ice time: Travis Sanheim (27 minutes)
- Most shots: Mikko Rantanen (5)
- Most hits: Garnet Hathaway (5)
- Final score: 4-3 OT Avalanche
Puck drop is at 11 a.m. MT.