A crucial key for the Colorado Avalanche's success is discipline in their checking and puck handling. The Colorado Avalanche face a tough offensive Buffalo Sabres team but managing their physical game and puck-handling are crucial to getting a win. Head coach Jared Bednar commended Ross Colton's intensity to set the tone of the game in the 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames. Colton drew a penalty right out of the gate which elevated the team's energy. Colton made a clean, legal hit and the Avalanche only accumulated three minor penalties in the game. "Just checking with our legs but playing physical at the same time — I think there's a good combination of both," Colton said. "It's just a matter of playing fast, playing physical and staying within our structure and we'll have success." The Avalanche have lessened the number of penalties over the last few games and seem to continue trending that way with a more disciplined game. "If we're checking the right way, we're using our skating to check and if we're putting enough value on that then usually we stay out of the box. "As a group, we have to be disciplined enough to use their skating instead of reaching in and taking the extra strides and getting there quickly to take away time and space instead of trying to reach in and use their sticks," Bednar said. The Avalanche were shut out by the Sabres in Buffalo on Oct. 29 with Alexandar Georgiev registering the loss. Ivan Prosvetov will start for Colorado in the only other matchup between the teams. PROJECTED LINEUP Valeri Nichushkin — Nathan MacKinnon — Mikko Rantanen Tomas Tatar — Ryan Johansen — Jonathan Drouin Miles Wood — Ross Colton — Logan O’Connor Andrew Cogliano — Fredrik Olofsson — Ben Meyers Devon Toews — Cale Makar Bowen Byram — Josh Manson Jack Johnson — Sam Malinksi Ivan Prosvetov Alexandar Georgiev RELATED LINKS Emotional return for former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/featured/emotional-return-for-former-avalanche-defenseman-erik-johnson] 'It's the defending side of it that's hurting us': Why Avalanche need to stay on top of pucks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/news/why-avalanche-need-to-stay-on-top-of-pucks] 'We're a team that can skate, we shouldn't be reaching in taking a lot of stick penalties': Bednar says improvement on defense should lessen infractions [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/featured/were-a-team-that-can-skate-we-shouldnt-be-reaching-in-taking-a-lot-of-stick-penalties-bednar-says-improvement-on-defense-should-lessen-infractions]
