Game Preview: Avalanche at Flames

COLORADO AVALANCHE VS. CALGARY FLAMES
7:30 PM MT | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOMEWATCH: ALTITUDELISTEN: 92.5FM/950 AM
The Colorado Avalanche began their quest to repeat last night at Ball Arena and are right back at it against the Calgary Flames. Lord Stanley was in the building and another championship banner was raised to the rafters.

Colorado defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-2. Center Andrew Cogliano opened up the scoring for the Avs and was assisted by alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Devon Toews. Mikko Rantanen handed out four assists, while wingers Valeri Nichushkin and Arturri Lehkonen added two goals apiece - all of which were on the power play - before the night was over.

HISTORY

The Avs have played the Flames a franchise record 170 times during the regular season, compiling a 70-75-20 record. The teams have only played each other once in the postseason, with the Avalanche emerging victorious, winning the series 4-1 in the first round of the 2019 NHL Playoffs.

CONNECTIONS

AVALANCHE VS FLAMES
AVALANCHE ARTICLES
What to Know Ahead of 2022-23 Opening Night
Creating the Colorado Avalanche 2022 Stanley Cup Ring
Francouz Adds Special Touch to Goalie Mask
Samuel Girard 'Free to Go' for Upcoming Season
Landeskog to Miss Start of Season with Lower-Body Injury
Georgiev Getting Settled in Colorado
GAME EXTRAS
Avalanche 360
Avalanche Tickets
Current Flame Nazem Kadri spent three seasons with Colorado, finishing his stint with 155 points (58G/97A). This past season was Kadri's best, as he finished with 87 points (28G/59A) during the regular season and 15 points (7G/8A) during the postseason, en route to helping the Avalanche hoist the Stanley Cup.

ROSTER REPORT

The Avalanche will be without left winger Gabriel Landeskog to begin the season, as he is still recovering from a lower-body injury. Forward Darren Helm is also out with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Jacob MacDonald will also be out due to an injury.
The Flames may be without starting goalie Jacob Markstrom, who is dealing with an illness and has officially been listed as day-to-day.
Calgary will also not have defenseman Oliver Kylington in Thursday's matchup due to being placed on injured reserve. He was originally expected to be out until at least Oct. 13 and will now be out until at least Oct. 18.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES

Calgary first made headlines this offseason when longtime Flame Johnny Gaudreau signed a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets in a surprise move. Not even two weeks later, the Flames then traded left winger Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Cole Schwindt.
Since that flurry of moves, General Manager Brad Treliving has re-signed both Huberdeau and Weegar to eight-year contract extensions. Treliving also re-signed Andrew Mangiapane to a three-year contract and landed former Av Nazem Kadri on a seven-year contract.
The Flames also announced that came to terms on a two-year contract extension with head coach Darryl Sutter to a two-year contract extension.

DOING THE MOST

Center Nathan MacKinnon has 25 pts (12G/13A) in 21 career games against Calgary. Left winger Gabriel Landeskog has 22 pts (7G/15A) in 29 career games against Calgary.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Goalie Jacob Markstrom lost his lone start against the Avalanche last season, stopping 28 of 30 shots, with a final score of 2-1.
Backup netminder Dan Vladar is 1-1 against Colorado in his career, owning a .925 Sv%, stopping 62 of 67 shots.

NUMBERS GAME

2x2
Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin each scored twice on the power play, joining Joe Colborne (Oct. 15, 2016 vs. Dallas) and Real Cloutier (Oct.10, 1979 vs. Atlanta) as the only players to score two power-play goals in a season-opening game in franchise history.
4
With four assists, forward Mikko Rantanen tied his career high in both assists and points in a game.
8
The Avalanche drew eight penalties against the Blackhawks, converting 50% of the time the team was on the power play.

QUOTES THAT LEFT A MARK

"I didn't really know what to expect and the crowd was really into it. They sang our song from last year. It was [a] really cool moment, like the video they did and obviously, the banner raise was the cherry on top, so really, really cool moment." - Mikko Rantanen On The Stanley Cup Banner Raise