Buffalo Sabres (14-20-4) @ Colorado Avalanche (23-15-0)
7 p.m. MT | Ball Arena | Watch: Altitude, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)
Winners of their last five games, the Avalanche begin 2025 with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. This is the final meeting between the teams this season, as the Avs came back from down 4-0 to beat the Sabres 5-4 in Buffalo on December 3. Thursday’s matchup features two teams with defensemen that produce offensively. Colorado leads the league with 100 points (18g/82a) from blueliners while Buffalo is fifth with 88 points (18g/70a).
Latest Result (COL): WPG 2, COL 5
Latest Result (BUF): BUF 2, DAL 4
Closing Out 2024 with a Win
The Avalanche beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 at Ball Arena on Tuesday to win their fifth-straight game and improve to 23-15-0. Jonathan Drouin posted two assists in his return to the lineup and Casey Mittelstadt scored the game-winning goal. Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the season at 11:51 of the first period via a net-front deflection. At 10:20 of the second period, Rasmus Kupari tied the game for Winnipeg off the rush. Scoring his second goal of the season, Devon Toews gave the Avs a 2-1 lead at 16:37 of middle frame with a shot from the left doorstep. Less than two minutes later, Gabriel Vilardi tied the game at 18:32 with a shot from the doorstep. At 7:22 of the third, Mittelstadt deflected Manson’s right-point shot for his eighth goal of the season. With the Jets pushing to tie the game, Mikko Rantanen tallied his 21st goal of the season with an empty-net goal at 18:31. The Avs took a 5-2 lead at 19:53 of the third with Ross Colton’s 11th of the year via an empty-netter. In net for the Avs, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced and improved to 5-1-0 with Colorado.
New Year, Same Stars
Nate the Great
Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (61) and assists (47). He was named the NHL’s First Star of the Month of December after posting 25 points (8g/17) in 13 games.
All Hail Cale
Cale Makar leads NHL defensemen in points (46) and assists (35) while being tied for first among that group in goals (11). Among all NHL skaters, he’s sixth in assists.
Moose Crossing
Mikko Rantanen is tied for third in points (54), eighth in goals (21) and tied for eighth in assists (33). He’s posted 19 points (6g/13a) during his current 11-game point streak.
History
In 42 previous regular-season matchups, the Avalanche are 26-12-4 against the Sabres, including 11-3-0 since the start of the 2017-18 season. Thursday’s game will mark Bowen Byram’s first game at Ball Arena since being traded by the Avs on March 6, 2024. Byram won the 2022 Stanley Cup with Colorado and posted 63 points (23g/40a) in 146 regular-season games with the Burgundy and Blue.
Defeat in Dallas
The Sabres lost 4-2 to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on Tuesday. Dallas’ Roope Hintz opened the scoring at 9:49 of the first before Buffalo’s Jason Zucker tied the game 31 seconds later at 10:20. After a scoreless second period, Jason Robertson gave the Stars a 2-1 lead at 2:35 before Buffalo’s Beck Malenstyn tied the game at 4:57 of the third. The Stars would take the lead when Wyatt Johnston scored at 11:32 and doubled their advantage after an Esa Lindell empty-net goal at 18:23.
Scoring Against the Sabres
In 17 games against the Sabres, MacKinnon has posted 26 points (11g/15a), including two goals and an assist when they met earlier this season.
In nine contests against Buffalo, Makar has registered seven assists.
Rantanen has posted 19 points (7g/12a) in 14 meetings with the Sabres.
Sabres’ Scoring Leaders
Tage Thompson leads the Sabres in goals (18) and points (30).
Alex Tuch is second on the Sabres in goals (12) and points (28).
Rasmus Dahlin leads the team in assists (20) and is tied for third in points (26).
A Numbers Game
43
MacKinnon’s 43 even-strength points are the most in the NHL this season.
3.39
Colorado’s 3.39 goals per game are tied for the sixth most in the NHL.
10
Lehkonen’s 10 goals in December were tied for the most in the league.
Quote That Left a Mark
"You could tell [there was] a little extra giddy up in his step today, right away. Just hanging on to the puck, counterflowing, skating, trying to make plays."
-- Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar on Casey Mittelstadt’s performance on Tuesday
