Game Preview: Avalanche vs. Coyotes

COLORADO AVALANCHE (19-11-2) VS ARIZONA COYOTES (11-16-5)
7 PM MT | BALL ARENAWATCH:ALTITUDELISTEN: 92.5FM/950 AM
The Colorado Avalanche take on the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday night in their first game back following the holiday break. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. MT on Altitude at Mullett Arena.

LAST TIME OUT

The Avs are coming off their fourth-consecutive win after defeating Nashville in overtime, 3-2. Samuel Girard scored the game-winner against his former team to help the Avs complete the comeback after being faced with a two-goal deficit. Mikko Rantanen scored at 12:46 in the second to net his 23rd goal of the season. J.T. Compher tied the game at 15:05 of the third period. Colorado has won six of their last seven games.
Arizona snapped a three-game skid after a 2-1 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings Friday before the holiday break. Coyotes netminder Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves and Nick Schmaltz scored the lone regulation goal for Arizona. Nick Bjugstad was the only player to find the back of the net in the shootout.

HISTORY

Colorado owns a 72-52-20 all-time mark versus the Coyotes, with a 55-32-12 record since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995-96. The Avs are 27-18-5 on the road versus Arizona since 1995-96. This will be the first appearance for the Avalanche at Mullett Arena
Tuesday's game is the first of four contests against the Coyotes this season. The last three outings all happen in March, with the first two in Denver on Mar. 11th & 24th. The final matchup is two days later on the 26th, back in Arizona.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES

Clayton Keller paces the Arizona scoring with 31 points (12G, 19A), and is tied with Matias Maccelli for the team lead in helpers. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is second on the team in points with 24 (8G, 16A).
Vejmelka holds a 10-9-0 record in net this season, with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

LINEUP UPDATES

Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnonUpper body
Gabriel Landeskog Lower body
Darren Helm Lower body
Bowen ByramLower body
Josh MansonLower body
Pavel Francouz Unknown
Valeri Nichushkin Unknown
Shane BowersUpper body

DOING THE MOST

Mikko Rantanen has averaged 1.29 points in 21 games played against Arizona, the third-highest average of any Avalanche player versus the Coyotes franchise.

NUMBERS GAME

13
Mikko Rantanen fired a career-high 13 shots in Friday's 3-2 overtime victory at Nashville, the most by any player in the NHL this season.
8-2-1
Colorado holds an 8-2-1 record against Central Division opponents this season and garners a 4-1-0 mark on the road.
1st
Samuel Girard scored the first overtime goal of his career Friday in Nashville.