On The Road: Game Day In Pittsburgh

The Colorado Avalanche is on a four-game road trip on the east coast with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.
ColoradoAvalanche.com is writing and taking photos of the trip.
The sixth day of the Avalanche's road trip was also the team's third game day, as the club takes on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first half of a back-to-back set.

After not skating on Sunday, the Avs hold a full-team morning skate at PPG Paints Arena. Downtown Pittsburgh isn't that large, so it only takes a few minutes for the club's bus to get from the hotel to the arena.

Colorado takes the ice for the pre-game session at 11:30 a.m., going over special teams and doing skill drills. Most of the Avs stay out for at least 30 minutes.

Surprisingly, defenseman Erik Johnson was one of the last players off the ice from the pre-game practice. Johnson's morning skates usually only last 10-15 minutes, if that, due to the large number of minutes he plays during games.

Nail Yakupov didn't participate in morning skate as he is dealing with a small illness.
"He isn't feeling that well," Avs head coach Jared Bednar told the media when updating Yakupov's status. "It's been kind of bugging him for a couple days now, so he'll be out tonight again."
The Avalanche's bus leaves the rink at 12:38 p.m. and heads for the hotel where a pre-game meal is waiting for the team. After dropping off the first load of players, the bus returns to the arena to pick up any remaining players and staff that didn't make the initial trip.
The afternoon bus times are at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Most of the players were on the second bus, while all the coaches and training staff went on the first trip.

Colorado sent out 12 forwards and seven defensemen for warmup, but the team once again used the non-traditional lineup of 11 forwards and seven D-men against Pittsburgh. It was the third-straight outing it had done such an alignment.

The contest itself was tight checking, with neither team creating many scoring chances until the third. The Penguins came out strong in the final period, but the Avs got on the scoreboard first. Mark Barberio's shot from the high slot deflected off Pittsburgh's Riley Sheahan and over the shoulder of goaltender Tristan Jarry at 6:17

Blake Comeau scored an empty-netter to extend the Avs' lead 2-0 in the final minutes, but the Penguins tallied late to end Jonathan Bernier's shutout bit. Bernier finished with 39 saves in the 2-1 victory.

After the game, Barberio, Comeau and Bernier had post-game media obligations with radio and TV.

Fifty minutes after the contest ended, Colorado's team buses pulled out from arena loading dock and headed to the Pittsburgh airport. Another 50 minutes after that, the club's charter flight is in the air heading to Washington, D.C.

The flight time is only 36 minutes, but the Avs have to land at Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. That means it's another 30-minute bus ride to get to the city limits.
The Avs arrive at their hotel 12 minutes before 1 a.m., and the players quickly grab their keys and go to their rooms to get some rest for Tuesday's contest against the Capitals.