Browsing: Colorado

The Florida Panthers ran into a buzzsaw on Thursday night.

Playing the back end of a back-to-back set, Florida was shellacked by the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 6-2.

Colorado jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when they scored on their first rush of the night.

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A nice cross-ice pass by Martin Necas found a wide-open Sam Malinski, and his long wrist shot squeaked through Daniil Tarasov to give the Avs a 1-0 lead just 74 seconds into the game.

The Panthers tied the game about six minutes later, and the goal came from an unlikely source: Floridaâ€s fourth line.

After a nice poke-check by Seth Jones, Noah Gregor picked up the puck and flew up the left side of the ice before driving toward the net. He then flipped a shot that went over the blocker of Mackenzie Blackwood to tie the game at one at the 7:21 mark.

A bad bounce led to Florida falling behind again shortly before the end of the period.

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Gus Forsling was defending in front of Tarasov when a Valeri Nichushkin wrist shot hit him in the back and bounced to the side of the crease, where Brock Nelson extended his stick and got just enough of the puck to squeeze it between Tarasovâ€s skate and the goal post.

The Avalanche doubled their lead at the 5:05 mark of the middle frame when Gavin Brindley got his backhand on a Brent Burns rebound after the pair came down the ice on a 2-on-1.

A long wrist shot by Nathan MacKinnon got past a screened Tarasov just over two minutes later, suddenly making it 4-1 Colorado.

Artturi Lehkonen scored on what felt like Coloradoâ€s tenth breakaway of the game, making it 5-1 Avalanche with 7:29 left in the second period.

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Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog got in on the fun at the 6:18 mark of the third period, corralling a Necas rebound and beating a sprawling Tarasov to five the Avs a 6-1 lead on their 38th shot of the night.

Florida picked up a goal with just under seven minutes to go, but it may have come at a cost.

Mackie Samoskevich finished off a nice passing play with A.J. Greer and Evan Rodrigues, but when Greer made a spinning pass at the side of Coloradoâ€s net, Josh Manson slid down to try and block the pass and took out Greerâ€s skates causing him to go feet first into the boards.

Greer went to Floridaâ€s locker room afterwards and did not return.

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On to Dallas.

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Photo caption: Dec 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) celebrates his goal with center Nathan MacKinnon (29) against Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov (40) in the second period at Ball Arena. (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

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Faced with one of their toughest tasks of the season, the Vancouver Canucks put up a decent effort but fell short in a 3–1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Linus Karlsson scored the lone goal of the game, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of 32 shots faced.

Lankinen was the key to a good start tonight, as throughout the first half of the first period, it was all Avalanche. Colorado lobbed anything and everything at Lankinen and continued their siege even after coming off a two-minute power play. They reached the 12-shot mark by the halfway point of the period, though were unable to get the puck past Lankinen until the final minute of the frame.

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With Conor Garland still unavailable for Vancouver, Jonathan Lekkerimäki received a promotion, filling in the empty spot on Elias Petterssonâ€s line alongside Evander Kane. The trio performed excellently defensively, holding the Avalanche to only one 5-on-5 scoring chance. Even so, the Canucks†lines ended up being shaken up during the third period, with Lekkerimäki ending up alongside Brock Boeser and David Kämpf and Karlsson taking his place.

Todayâ€s game solidified another point — if you put any iteration of last yearâ€s Abbotsford Canucks together on one line, chances are, theyâ€re going to find the back of the net. Most often, itâ€s been the trio of Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Karlsson who end up scoring. Today, it was Karlsson who deked Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood out and opened the scoring for Vancouver, doing-so while on a line with Bains and Aatu Räty.

Beating an Avalanche team that sits comfortably at the top of the NHL was a tall task, so itâ€s not a surprise that the Canucks were unable to close this one out. With that being said, Vancouver did a surprisingly decent job of matching the pace of play that Colorado generates, specifically during the first period. While it was clear that the Avalanche were the better team tonight, Vancouver put up a solid effort during certain occasions. In particular, their attempts to generate offence stood out much more in the third period after the pace of the game started to slow down a bit more.

One recurring theme from tonightâ€s game was the Canucks allowing goals within the final minute of each of the first two periods from Nathan MacKinnon. The first came after a shot from Devon Toews rebounded over to MacKinnon, whoâ€d been left relatively open after some messiness in Vancouverâ€s zone. In his second last-minute tally of the night, the Avalanche forward was left open yet again and only needed to fire it past Lankinen to find the back of the net. In both instances, Vancouver was unable to properly stay in position, allowing Colorado to capitalize and set the Canucks back when exiting the period.

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As of the end of the third period, the Canucks are still awaiting a verdict on Kane, who left the game while clutching his wrist with around four minutes left in the third period. The forward immediately went down the tunnel and did not rejoin his team.

Dec 2, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battle for the puck in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Dec 2, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battle for the puck in the second period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Stats and Facts:

  • Linus Karlsson scores the game-opening goal for the second time during the Canucks†current road trip

  • Vancouver surrenders 30+ shots for the 14th time this season

  • Canucks score only one goal for the second consecutive game

  • Kiefer Sherwood finishes the game with six shots on goal

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

2:55 – VAN: Linus Karlsson (5) from Arshdeep Bains and Aatu Räty

19:23 – COL: Nathan MacKinnon (21) from Devon Toews and Sam Malinski

2nd Period:

13:52 – COL: Brock Nelson (9) from Gabriel Landeskog and Ross Colton

19:26 – VAN: Nathan MacKinnon (22) from Gabriel Landeskog and Josh Manson

3rd Period:

No scoring.

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The Canucks will now return to Vancouver for a four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres. The first of these two matches will occur as part of a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, with the Mammoth being Vancouverâ€s first opponent. Puck drop for Fridayâ€s game is slated for 6:00 pm PT.

Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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DENVER â€”  Brock Nelson orchestrated a masterclass on Saturday at Ball Arena, assembling a two-goal, two-assist performance as the Avalanche dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in a commanding 7–2 triumph. Gabriel Landeskog contributed a pair of goals of his own, while Brent Burns, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews each added singular tallies to the ledger. Between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 17 of 19 shots to keep his impressive run alive.

Nelson now has 11 points in his last nine games.

The supporting cast was no less fantastic: Martin NeÄas posted three assists, and Artturi Lehkonen furnished two more.

With the win, Colorado advanced to an imposing and league-best 18-1-6 record.

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Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal. Jakub Dobeš made 29 saves in defeat.

The afternoon belonged, unmistakably, to Nelson. After serving a high-sticking minor at 16:10—killed off with crucial, composed stops from Blackwood, Nelson reemerged not chastened but focused Lehkonenâ€s diagonal feed from the right flank found Nelson slicing through the neutral zone, where he promptly dispatched a wrist shot past Dobeš†glove. With that strike, Nelson reached his 600th career point and did it in style.

Moments later, Nelson appeared to strike once more at least at first glance. As he released his shot, Gabriel Landeskog was sent careening into the crease after a forceful shove from Josh Anderson. Montreal promptly challenged the play for goaltender interference, yet the initial review affirmed that Andersonâ€s contact was the catalyst for Landeskogâ€s collision with the net, allowing the goal to stand.

However, a subsequent and more granular league review revealed a subtle but decisive detail. Landeskog had grazed the puck after Nelsonâ€s release, and the NHL accordingly reassigned credit, awarding the goal to Landeskog.

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Off a clean draw won by Nelson, Burns uncorked a shot through a screen by Landeskog. The goal—Burns†264th—vaulted him into a tie with Nicklas Lidström for ninth all-time among defensemen, an accomplishment befitting his longevity and command of the blue line.

Nelson, however, was far from finished. After getting turned away on the initial breakaway attempt, he watched NeÄas recover a rebound before threading the puck back to him at the doorstep for his second goal of the night. In a hilarious scene, fans who couldnâ€t hear the scoring correction believed Nelson had scored a hat trick and littered the rink with hats. Although it wasnâ€t a hat trick, it was still a four-point night for Nelson.

Montreal briefly countered with Juraj Slafkovskýâ€s artful spin-o-rama feed to Matvei Demidov, who deposited a wide-open look to cut the deficit to 4–1. But the Avalanche quickly returned to their dominant wins.

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A chaotic 4-on-4 sequence—both from roughing and holding minors to Oliver Kapanen and NeÄas respectively—preceded Coloradoâ€s next brilliant maneuver. With Landeskog lingering near the blue line, Cale Makar lofted a calculated touch pass to allow his captain to exit and reenter onside. Landeskog then drove a low shot off Dobeš†pads, where MacKinnon buried the rebound for a 5–1 lead.

2:51 into the third period, NeÄas delivered a perfect pass at the doorstep for Devon Toews, who scored his first of the season to make it a 6-1 game. Nearly three minutes later, Montreal responded with a goal when Lane Hutson blistered a one-timer by Blackwood on the power play to inch a little closer. However, the Avalanche responded once again with a power play goal of their own. With Montrealâ€s Jake Evans in the box for high-sticking Nathan MacKinnon, Landeskog tipped in a rebound for the 7-2 finish.

The Avalanche take on the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena on Wednesday, December 2. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.

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DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have promoted Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager, the team said Monday.

Schaeffer assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black, the winningest manager in franchise history, in May following a 7-33 start.

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The Rockies finished the season 43-119 and in last place in the NL West.

“Iâ€m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this team,†said Schaeffer. “My focus remains on continuing to build a strong, unified culture based on accountability, hard work and trust. We have a group of guys who care deeply about competing the right way, and my goal is to keep strengthening those relationships while leading a team that our fans can embrace and be proud of.â€

Schaeffer becomes the eighth full-time manager in club history. The 40-year-old has been a member of the Rockies organization for over a decade.

“Weâ€re confident Warren is the right person to lead our club moving forward,†said Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta. “He has established strong relationships with our players, understands the culture of this franchise and embodies the energy and work ethic we want on and off the field.â€

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Black initially found success with Colorado when he led the Rockies to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and â€18. They havenâ€t finished with a winning record since. Blackâ€s contract was set to expire following the season. He signed a one-year extension in October.

Black was 544-690 in nine seasons while wearing the purple pinstripes.

Schaefferâ€s promotion was only one of the major changes for the Rockies this year.

They hired DePodesta this month from the NFLâ€s Cleveland Browns to run baseball operations. DePodesta, who inspired Jonah Hillâ€s character in the movie “Moneyball,†returned to baseball after nearly 10 years with the Browns. He was named Clevelandâ€s chief strategy officer in 2016.

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During his nearly 20 seasons in MLB, he was the only executive to win divisional titles with five different organizations — the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland.

He took over for Bill Schmidt, who stepped down following the season. The Rockies are in need of a transformation after becoming the first team with three straight 100-loss seasons since Houston in 2011-13.

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Today, we’re unveiling the 10 best prospects in the Rockies system entering 2026.

The top of the Rockies system is headlined by Ethan Holliday, a potential impact hitter who has big family shoes to fill in Colorado after being drafted fourth overall this past summer.

Baseball America’s Jesús Cano is hosting a chat at 2 p.m. ET to discuss Holliday and the overall state of Colorado’s farm system.

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See the 10 best prospects in the Rockies system, including brand new scouting reports for every player.

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Below, you can find our projected Rockies lineup for 2029, as well as a rundown of prospects with the best scouting tools in the system.

Projected 2029 Rockies Lineup

Catcher: Hunter Goodman (30)
First Base: Charlie Condon (26)
Second Base: Roldy Brito (22)
Third Base: Ethan Holliday (22)
Shortstop: Ezequiel Tovar (28)
Left Field: Jared Thomas (26)
Center Field: Cole Carrigg (27)
Right Field: Max Belyeu (25)
Designated Hitter: Kyle Karros (27)

No. 1 Starter: Chase Dollander (27)
No. 2 Starter: Brody Brecht (27)
No. 3 Starter: Jackson Cox (28)
No. 4 Starter: Sandy Ozuna (23)
No. 5 Starter: Luichi Casilla (25)
Closer: Welinton Herrera (25)

Listed below are the prospects with the best tools within the organization. To go directly to Colorado’s Top 10, click here.

Rockies Best Tools

Best Hitter: Roldy Brito
Best Power Hitter: Charlie Condon
Best Strike-Zone Discipline: Wilder Dalis
Fastest Baserunner: Roldy Brito
Best Athlete: Roldy Brito
Best Fastball: Welinton Herrera
Best Curveball: Luichi Casilla
Best Slider: Brody Brecht
Best Changeup: Brody Brecht
Best Control: Sean Sullivan
Best Defensive Catcher: Cole Messina
Best Defensive Infielder: Ashly Andujar
Best Infield Arm: Ashly Andujar
Best Defensive Outfielder: Cole Carrigg
Best Outfield Arm: Cole Carrigg

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DENVER — Jonathan Drouin enjoyed his two years with the Colorado Avalanche, but now heâ€s ready to face his old squad tonight a member of the New York Islanders at Ball Arena.

Drouin, 30, became an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Islanders signed him to a two-year, $8 million contract on July 1.

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“I always loved my two years here,†Drouin told The Hockey News. “I had a great time, and itâ€s always cool to come back here.â€

Brock Nelson, for instance, played parts of 13 seasons with the Islanders and told reporters it was going to be weird facing his old team. However, for Drouin, itâ€s not as difficult as a transition as one would think because heâ€s used to playing in the opposing locker room at this venue.

When asked if it would be strange playing against the Avs: “No, Iâ€ve been here before. The walkâ€s a little strange, you go a little further to go to the Avs locker room, but no, again, I enjoyed my time here; I had a blast, and itâ€s good to be back.â€

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In two seasons with the Avalanche, Drouin posted 30 goals and 63 assists in 122 games. His final year in the burgundy and blue was plagued by injuries, but in his 43 games for Colorado last year, he was nearly a point-per-game player, tallying 11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points.

Drouin was a familiar face at the Avalanche morning skate, sporting an Islanders hoodie, coffee in hand, as he chatted with former teammates Parker Kelly and Devon Toews, along with a few staff members. The easy rapport made it evident thereâ€s no lingering tension between Drouin and his former club. And once tonightâ€s game is in the books, he plans to spend more time catching up with everyone.

After morning skate, Jared Bednar acknowledged the growing comparisons between two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and 18-year-old Islanders prospect Matthew Schaefer. Drouin, when asked about the parallels, echoed Bednarâ€s assessment.

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“Yeah, the skating for sure,†he explained. “His skating is very impressive. Obviously Cale is on another level now; heâ€s been in the league for a little longer, but what Schaeâ€s been doing in his first year as a rookie, has been very impressive.

“As I said, the skating is very similar, they have that speed to get away from a lot of guys and create a rush.â€

Drouin has logged 624 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Avalanche, and now the Islanders, producing 110 goals and 278 assists for 388 points over that span.

The Avalanche (12-1-5) look to eliminate another long winning streak as they take on Patrick Royâ€s Islanders (10-6-2), winners of their last four. Puck drop is at 7:11 p.m. local time.

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The Quebec Nordiques are back — at least in uniform form.

On Tuesday morning, the Colorado Avalanche unveiled their Nordiques specialty jerseys, a tribute to the franchise’s history.

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The Avalanche were founded as a WHA club in Quebec City during the league’s inaugural 1972 season, eventually moving to the NHL in 1979 with the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers. In 1995, the Nordiques were purchased by then-Denver Nuggets owners COMSAT Entertainment Group, moved to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche. The team has played in the Centennial State since.

The club’s throwbacks draw inspiration from a number of Quebecois elements. The color scheme is blue, red and white, a nod to the French flag and the province’s French-Canadian roots. The fleur-de-lis motif is also featured prominently, a similar honoring of French-Canadian pride and the province’s own flag.

The jersey’s central logo is an igloo designed to resemble the shape of the letter N and a hockey stick with a puck. The igloo motif pays homage to Quebec’s northern regions — “Nordiques” does translate to “Northerners” in English, after all.

Enhancing the throwback vibes is the fact that the Avalanche’s first game in their specialty uniforms will come against another team paying homage to its former roots.

On Thursday, Colorado will debut their new threads in a matchup that could pass for a WHA tribute game. Their opponent will be the Carolina Hurricanes… who are donning their own Hartford Whalers throwbacks. The Whalers officially relocated and rebranded to the Hurricanes in 1997, two years after the Nordiques became the Avalanche.

Colorado will play seven total games in their Nordiques specialty uniforms across the 2025-26 season.

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was unhappy to learn of the Big 12’s rules against rushing the field following his team’s 24-17 upset of No. 22 Iowa State.

The home crowd celebrated the victory by running onto the playing surface, which will draw a fine from the conference.

“How is it $50,000 for rushing the field?” Sanders said in his postgame press conference. “Wow. Shoot. I’m sorry. Wow, fifty grand.”

Still, Coach Prime said that “I absolutely love” to see Colorado students running out of their seats in jubilation and that the automatic fine “ain’t right.”

The Hall of Fame cornerback called the result “kind of vital” for his previously 2-4 squad.

“Your season could go this way or that way. And the most frustrating part about it is that we’re good,” he told reporters. “And I know this sounds crazy, especially when you say the record aloud, but we’re good, we haven’t really gotten our butts kicked. I take a good whooping. I grew up taking a good whooping, so I don’t mind that, but when we’re losing it with self-inflicted wounds, it bothers you.

“But today, right before we completed that third down pass [on the final drive], we said, guys, this is it. This is game. We get this first down, we’re gonna win. We don’t, we can put it on the defense. Anything can happen. They had two or three timeouts at the time, so it was gonna be tough, but we got it. We persevered.”

A three-yard touchdown pass from Kaidon Salter to Joseph Williams put the Buffs ahead 21-17 in the third quarter, and Alejandro Mata added a 29-yard field goal with 5:13 left in the contest.

Iowa State had three opportunities in the fourth quarter to either reclaim the lead or tie the score.

Rocco Becht threw an interception on a 3rd-and-goal from the Coloado 7-yard line at the 13:29 mark. The Cyclones’ next possession ended in a turnover on downs, and their last drive culminated in a punt.

Colorado also kept the Iowa State offense off the field for the final 3:48. A critical 38-yard completion to Williams from Salter on 3rd-and-16 effectively iced the game.

Colorado’s outlook is much different at 3-4 than it would’ve been at 2-5.

Matching last year’s nine wins will require running the table in the regular season and then winning a bowl game. Three victories from five games will at least guarantee bowl eligibility for the second straight season, something the Buffs haven’t achieved since 2005.

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Deion Sanders and the unranked Colorado Buffaloes defeated No. 22 Iowa State 24-17 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, on Saturday.

Colorado improved to 3-4 on the season with their first Big 12 win, moving to 1-3 in conference play. Iowa State fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.

Sanders continued to stick with senior quarterback Kaidon Salter, who entered Saturday’s game with seven touchdowns and four interceptions on 901 yards, after briefly turning to sophomore Ryan Staub in Weeks 2 and 3 following a Week 1 loss.

Salter completed 16-of-25 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Joseph Williams (128 yards) and Omarion Miller (82 yards) for scores. Running back Micah Welch also added a touchdown.

Colorado’s win over the ranked team thrilled Buffs fans as the program continues to build momentum this season.

The first quarter was a struggle offensively for both teams, with Colorado limited to two three-and-outs before Welch capped the quarter with a touchdown run to give the Buffs a 7-0 lead.

Iowa State responded in the second quarter, grabbing their first points off a field goal before adding a touchdown later in the quarter. The Cyclones held Colorado scoreless on a missed 57-yard field goal at the half to take a 10-7 lead into the break.

Unlike the first quarter, the third quarter was all offense, featuring three possessions that each resulted in a score.

Salter connected with Miller on a 70-yard touchdown pass, then found Williams for another score, adding 14 points to the board. Iowa managed to score on their lone possession of the quarter, sandwiched between Colorado’s two touchdowns. The Buffs led 21-17 entering the final quarter.

Iowa’s Rocco Becht threw an interception early in the fourth quarter, and Colorado added a field goal with 5:13 remaining to extend their lead to a touchdown. The score would hold at 24-17 in favor of the Buffs.

Colorado will head into a bye week before traveling to face the Utah Utes on Oct. 25.

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Denver, Colo. – The first night of two this regular season have arrived. The Dallas Stars are in town for the first time since handing the Colorado Avalanche a first-round exit from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With the return of the Stars comes the return of Mikko Rantanen, who played a big role – if not the biggest – in that playoff exit with a natural hat trick in Game 7.

Fear not, though, as there are many more storylines heading into tonight’s game.

Head Coach Jared Bednar began his press conference this morning by telling the media that Ilya Solovyov will be making his debut in burgundy and blue.

With his debut comes bad news: Sam Girard will be out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Other than that change on defense, none of the forward lines will change for the Avalanche, meaning Zakhar Bardakov will be a healthy scratch once again, Parker Kelly will center the fourth line, and Gavin Brindley will get yet another look in the NHL.

With that said, Scott Wedgewood will occupy the crease again tonight for Colorado after an almost shutdown performance against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday night.

Jake Oettinger will start in net for the Stars on the other side of the ice.

Only seven defensemen have ever gotten to the 1,500-game milestone in their careers. Tonight, Brent Burns will become the eighth.

“It’s impressive to hit 1,000. Every game after that, it’s a bonus, I’m sure. Now, he’s at 1,500, it’s hard to do, especially when you – they’re not easy minutes that he plays. He’s an older guy now… The streak he has of games he’s played in a row. It’s part of the reason he’s been able to hit 1,500, to be able to play the way he does, as physically as he does, and to be able to stay healthy for as long as he has, it’s amazing.”

– Coach Bednar on Burns hitting 1,500 NHL games played

Burns was drafted by the Minnesota Wild back in 2003 (20th overall). Since then, he’s played with the Wild, the San Jose Sharks, the Carolina Hurricanes, and now, the Colorado Avalanche.

In that span of time, Burns has tallied 910 points (261g/649a), taken a total of 4,057 shots, and collected 857 PIMs.

Puck Drop: 7:08 pm Mountain Time

Avalanche T.V. Broadcast: Altitude Sports Network

Avalanche Radio Broadcast: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Dallas T.V. Broadcast: Victory+

Dallas Radio Broadcast: The Ticket 96.7-FM, 1310-AM

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