Projected Lineup: Avalanche vs. Blue Jackets

The Colorado Avalanche is matching up against the Columbus Blue Jackets to open a home-and-home set against the club.
Netminder Jonas Johansson will get the start this evening. This will be his second start of the regular season for the Avs after he made 34 saves in a 4-1 loss at the Florida Panthers on Oct. 21.
J.T. Compher will play on the top line alongside Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon in tonight's contest. Compher is second on the Avs with eight points so far this year, recording four goals and four assists through the team's first eight outings.

Forwards Mikko Rantanen (lower body) and Andre Burakovsky (lower body) will not play tonight as both are day-to-day. Burakovsky was on the ice before this morning's skate in a red, non-contact jersey.
Defenseman Cale Makar is also out for the matchup after an injury he sustained in Saturday's 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild.
Devon Toews is taking controlled contact but will not be an option for tonight's game. Bednar is hoping to have Toews make his season debut this coming Saturday night when the Avs and Blue Jackets finish their two-game season series at Nationwide Arena.
Kiefer Sherwood was called up from American Hockey League affiliate the Colorado Eagles to join the Avalanche for tonight's game.
Below is Colorado's projected lineup for tonight's matchup based on the forward combinations from Tuesday's practice. The defensive pairings are from Saturday's game against Minnesota with Kurtis MacDermid in the spot that Makar previously held. They are expected to change.
Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 37 J.T. Compher
75 Sampo Ranta - 91 Nazem Kadri - 25 Logan O'Connor
43 Darren Helm - 17 Tyson Jost - 61 Martin Kaut
44 Kiefer Sherwood -12 Jayson Megna - 26 Jacob MacDonald
Defensemen
4 Bowen Byram - 56 Kurtis MacDermid
49 Samuel Girard - 6 Erik Johnson
3 Jack Johnson - 28 Ryan Murray
Goaltenders
31 Jonas Johansson
35 Darcy Kuemper
Injury Report: Mikko Rantanen (lower body), Pavel Francouz (lower body), Stefan Matteau (lower body), Cale Makar (upper body), Andre Burakovsky (upper body), Valeri Nichushkin (upper body), Devon Toews (upper body)