Colorado Avalanche (13-12-0) @ Buffalo Sabres (11-11-2)
5 p.m. MT | KeyBank Center | Watch: Altitude, My20, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (950 AM)
The Avalanche embark on their longest road trip of the season when they face the Sabres in the first of five interconference games. The two clubs will see each other again to open up the New Year when they face-off in Denver on January 2.
Latest Result (COL): EDM 4, COL 1
Latest Result (BUF): BUF 0, NYI 3
Falling to Edmonton
The Avalanche lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on Saturday. Nikolai Kovalenko scored his fourth goal of the season and Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves for the Avs. The Burgundy and Blue opened the scoring with Kovalenko’s goal on the power play at 7:02 of the first period. Picking up the secondary assist on the goal, Samuel Girard recorded a point in his 500th NHL game. The Oilers responded with a goal from Kasperi Kapanen at 11:48 of the opening frame and took the lead at 13:48 of the second period when Vasily Podkolzin scored. Edmonton doubled its lead at 3:56 of the third period with a goal from Brett Kulak and sealed the victory when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored an empty-net goal at 18:28.
Among the Best
Nathan MacKinnon leads the league in assists (29) and is tied for third in points (36).
Among NHL defensemen, Cale Makar is first in assists (24), first in points (32), and tied for first in goals (8). He's fifth in assists and tied for ninth and points among all NHL skaters.
Mikko Rantanen is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals (15) and points (34).
History
The Avalanche are 25-12-4 in 41 previous regular-season meetings against the Sabres, including 9-3-0 in their last 12.
Back in Buffalo
Tonight marks Casey Mittelstadt’s first game in Buffalo since the Avalanche acquired him in a trade on March 6, 2024. Going to Buffalo in the trade was defenseman Bowen Byram, who helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Shutout On Long Island
The Sabres lost 3-0 to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Saturday. The Islanders opened the scoring at 7:23 of the second period with a power-play goal from Anders Lee. Simon Holmstrom scored the final two goals of the game, tallying at 9:28 of the second period and on an empty net at 19:52 of the third. In net for the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin posted a 29-save shutout.
Spectacular Against the Sabres
MacKinnon has posted 23 points (9g/14a) in 16 games against Buffalo including seven points (2g/5a) in his last three contests.
Makar has registered seven points (7a) in eight-career matchups against the Sabres.
In 13 previous meetings with the Sabres, Rantanen has recorded 18 points (7g/11a).
Sabres’ Stars
Alex Tuch leads the Sabres in assists (14) and points (22).
Tage Thompson leads Buffalo in goals (11) and is third in points (18).
Rasmus Dahlin is second on the team in assists (13) and points (19).
A Numbers Game
339
Mittelstadt played in 339 games with the Sabres, recording 186 points (62g/124a).
3
The Avalanche have won three of their four road games against Eastern Conference opponents.
7.4
Colorado is averaging 7.4 penalty minutes per game, which is the seventh fewest in the NHL.
Quote That Left a Mark
"I think we came out pretty good actually in the first period. [We] had a good first period, had some really good looks, kind of tailed off from there. Just with high-danger chances, not quite as many as we did in the first period."
-- Devon Toews on Saturday’s game
