Game 1 Preview: Avalanche vs. Predators

COLORADO AVALANCHE (1) VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS (WC2)
7:30 PM MT | BALL ARENA WATCH: ALTITUDE| ESPN +LISTEN: 92.5 AM
The Colorado Avalanche take on the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday, May 3. Puck drop between the Avs and Preds begins at 7:30 p.m. MT at Ball Arena.

REGULAR SEASON MATCHUP:

The two Central Division foes met four times throughout the course of the regular season where Colorado earned a 1-1-2 record.
Cale Makar paced the Avalanche in scoring with seven points (2G, 5A), while
Mikko Rantanen
recorded four goals and six points through the four games and
Nazem Kadri
also put up six points on as many helpers.
For the Predators, Roman Josi led his squad with six points (2G, 4A), while the team's top line of Filip Forsberg, Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene - who was Colorado's 2009 third overall pick and spent nine seasons with the club - combined for 13 points (6G, 7A).
In goal,
Darcy Kuemper
played in two of the meetings in the regular season and posted a 0-0-2 record, while
Pavel Francouz
suffered a loss and Jonas Johansson secured the sole win.

STATS BREAKDOWN: (numbers based off regular season meetings between Avs-Preds)

Avalanche:
Goals: Mikko Rantanen (4)
Assists: Nazem Kadri (6)
AVALANCHE VS PREDATORS
AVALANCHE ARTICLES
First Round Schedule of Avalanche vs. Predators
Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Guide
First Round Series Preview: Avalanche vs. Predators
Colorado Avalanche 2021-22 Regular Season By the Numbers
GAME EXTRAS
Avalanche Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub
Avalanche 360
Avalanche Tickets
Points: Cale Makar (7)
Power Play: 29.4%
Penalty kill: 68.8%
FOW%: 48.6%
Hits: 80
Blocks: 49
Goals for per game: 4.00
Goals against per game: 4.00
Shots per game: 37.8%
Shots against per game: 33.0%
Nashville:
Goals: Matt Duchene (4)
Assists: Three tied - Roman Josi, Mikael Granlund, Colton Sisssons - (4)
Points: Roman Josi (6)
Power Play (in series): 31.3%
Penalty kill (in series): 70.6%
FOW%:
Hits: 114
Blocks: 66
Goals for per game: 4.00
Goals against per game: 4.00
Shots per game: 33.0%
Shots against per game: 33.0%
NOTEWORTHY:
Gabriel Landeskog is expected to return to the lineup for the first time since March 14 after undergoing knee surgery… Nazem Kadri finished the regular season with a three-game point streak with as many points in that span (2G, 1A) after returning to the lineup on April 20... Per Nashville Head Coach John Hynes, goaltender Juuse Saros will not play in Games 1 and 2…