Colorado has struggled with turnovers and puck management in the past few games which the Arizona Coyotes will capitalize on if the team doesn't clean it up.

Key factors to Colorado's success against the Arizona Coyotes are a disciplined checking game and manage the puck better. 

"You've got to check these guys. This is one of the top teams in league creating offense right now. They're super fast, talented and they don't give the puck up. They hang on to it and don't like to dump it," head coach Jared Bednar said after morning skate. "They try to create off almost every rush attack and a lot of creative guys that can move and skate so they're difficult for anybody. Right now, they're the hottest team in the league coming in four straight wins. They're getting great goaltending, good power play — they're a good hockey team."

Inconsistency has been a serious issue with the Avs and a lot has been on the team not being on the same page. They have also struggled with poor play in the second period in the last two games. 

"Just taking a deep breath. We string together some good periods, some good minutes and then we kind of get away from our game and have some lapses," Ross Colton said. "I think just finding our identity, playing simple, not turning the puck over trying to do too much — we do that and we'll be fine."

The Yotes are only four points behind the Avs in the Central Division but their success has been — in a big way — due to solid goaltending from Connor Ingram. He has a better save percentage (.919%) than Alexandar Georgiev (.892%) which will be a challenge for the Avalanche who are already lacking scoring depth. 

"My emphasis would be to go and continue to work on the things that we've been stressing here lately — that's checking them properly," Bednar said. "If we check them properly, we'll create enough offense to win the hockey games. But we have to pay special attention to some guys that they have on their team and some lines and just the way they play because they're not going to give you the puck you have to go take it."

Projected lineup

Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Jonathan Drouin
Andrew Cogliano — Ryan Johansen – Logan O'Connor
Kurtis MacDermid – Fredrik Olofsson – Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Bowen Byram — Josh Manson
Jack Johnson – Sam Malinski

Alexandar Georgiev
Ivan Prosvetov

This is the second of four matchups with the Coyotes who won in overtime 4-3 in Arizona on Nov. 30. The Yotes are 6-4-0 in their last 10 while the Avs are 5-5-0. The Coyotes have lost eight on the road while the Avalanche have only dropped four at home this season. Puck drops at 7 p.m. MT. at Ball Arena.