Ross Colton to face former Tampa Bay Lightning for 1st time since joining the Colorado Avalanche
Game-day stories for every new player on the Colorado Avalanche have been about facing their former team when they match up. Monday is Ross Colton's day as the Avs play the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first of two this season.
The 27-year-old forward was drafted by Tampa Bay in 2016 and spent his last seven seasons in its organization. He scored the game-winning/Stanley Cup Final series-winning goal for the Lightning against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. But for him, Monday's matchup is "just another game."
"It'll definitely be weird. Thankful for my time there. Obviously winning a Stanley Cup, that's some great memories, some great friends I'll have forever but yeah, it's just another game and I'm looking forward to it," the New Jersey native told reporters after morning skate.
Colton came to the Avs this offseason in a trade with the Lightning for a second-round draft pick. While he's appreciative of his years with the Bolts, he'll no doubt play hard to remind his former team what it lost.
"I love his energy, his physicality. He's a tenacious guy on the puck, he's hard in battles, he's got a good scoring touch," head coach Jared Bednar said about his third-line center.
Miles Wood and Logan O'Connor bring a level of energy and playmaking skills that matches Colton's on that line which has not only impressed Bednar, but has also become a fan favorite at Ball Arena. The three have combined for eight points in the last five games, with O'Connor having missed two of those. His replacement while he was out, Riley Tufte, scored the game-winner against the Vancouver Canucks.
Both teams are coming in hot with the Avalanche having won six of their last seven games and the Lightning getting points from their last five. This is their third game against each other since the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, with Tampa Bay taking last season's series two nil.
Projected lineup
Nathan MacKinnon is "under the weather," according to Bednar so it'll be a game-time decision as to whether he plays or not. Assuming he will, here's the projected lineup:
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Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen
Jonathan Drouin — Ryan Johansen — Tomas Tatar
Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O’Connor
Andrew Cogliano — Fredrik Olofsson — Joel Kiviranta
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Bowen Byram — Josh Manson
Jack Johnson — Caleb Jones
Alexandar Georgiev
Ivan Prosvetov
If MacKinnon is out, Kurtis MacDermid will likely come in and the centers will shift up a line — putting Johansen with Nichushkin and Rantanen. The fourth line would probably shift Cogliano to center and MacDermid on left wing.
Colorado is looking to extend its home-winning streak to four with a puck drop time of 7 p.m.
Tidbits ahead of Lightning matchup
Georgiev cut his hair short — which surprised most of the media — so we'll see if the lighter weight helps him move quicker between the pipes.
Artturi Lehkonen remains out due to an injury he suffered in the game against Seattle on Nov. 9. He was seen leaving the locker room after the win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday with no apparent medical gear on. Bednar confirmed he was out of a neck brace but could not provide any additional information about his condition or timeline on his return.
