COLORADO AVALANCHE (11-5-0) AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS (6-10-0)
6:00 PM MDT | BRIDGESTONE ARENA | WATCH: Altitude TV | LISTEN: 92.5 FM
The Colorado Avalanche take on the Nashville Predators on Monday night at Bridgestone Arena for the first of three matchups between the two teams during the regular season. The Avalanche-Predators tilt can be watched on Altitude TV, with puck drop scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MDT.
Latest Results:
November 18, 2023 | COL: 6, DAL: 3
November 18, 2023 | NSH: 4, CHI: 2
ALL HAIL CALE
Cale Makar required the fewest games by a defenseman in NHL history to record 200 career assists in 254 games played. Makar became the fourth Avalanche/Nordiques defenseman to notch 200 assists with the club, joining Tyson Barrie (232), John-Michael Liles (207) and Adam Foote (203).
HISTORY
Colorado owns a 40-38-5-9 all-time record against Nashville, with an 18-19-3-5 mark on the road. Last season, the Avalanche went 4-0-0 against the Predators and posted a plus-six goal differential (15-9). The other matchups between the teams this season are set for March 2nd in Nashville and March 30th in Denver.
Ex-Predator Ryan Johansen will face his former team for the first time donning an Avalanche sweater. The last time he competed against the Predators was Nov. 20, 2015 as a member of the Blue Jackets.
Cale Makar leads Colorado in scoring with 24 points (4g/20a) after leapfrogging Mikko Rantanen for the top spot with his three-assist game on Saturday. Rantanen, however, is right behind Makar and he boosted his point total to 23 (11g/12a) with a goal and an assist on Saturday. Makar holds a six-game point streak and enters tonight second in scoring among NHL defensemen as well as tied for eighth among all skaters.
WINNERS CIRCLE
Both Colorado and Nashville enter tonight’s matchup following a win.
The Avalanche scored six unanswered goals in a 6-3 victory against Dallas to collect the team’s third straight win. Six different Avalanche players saw a goal in the contest, out of the 13 players who saw the scoresheet. The following four players had a multi-point game: Makar (0g/3a), Nichushkin (1g/1a), Colton (1g/1a), and Rantanen (1g/1a).
The Predators posted a 4-2 win against Chicago where Gustav Nyquist scored hours after his wife gave birth to their third child Greta. Cole Smith scored half of Nashville’s four goals while the other two were notched by Yakov Trenin, his first of the campaign, and Nyquist.
HUNTING THE ENEMY
Roman Josi leads active Predators skaters with 40 (14g/26a) career points against the Avalanche in 41 games. Of his 40 points, nine goals and 17 assists have been scored in Nashville. Four out of his 14 goals against Colorado have been scored on the power play, while seven of his 26 assists have been power-play helpers.
Filip Forsberg leads active Predators in career goals with 16 versus Colorado. Of his 33 (16g/17) points in 32 games, eight goals and eight assists have been scored in Nashville.
Overall, Forsberg paces the Predators with 18 points (7g/11a) during the campaign, while Ryan O’Reilly leads Nashville with eight goals, both in 15 games apiece.
NUMBERS GAME
33
Nathan MacKinnon paces active Avalanche scorers against the Predators with 33 career points (13g/20a) in 33 games. When on the road, MacKinnon has accumulated 19 of those points (11g/8a). The centerman trails Milan Hejduk (35 points) for the most an Avalanche has recorded against the Predators.
6
Makar's six-game point streak is the longest by an Avalanche this season. In three of his last six contests, the defenseman has notched three assists (Nov. 7 vs. New Jersey, Nov. 15 vs. Anaheim, Nov. 18 at Dallas).
3
Ross Colton enters tonight with a three-game goal streak. Another goal tonight would establish a new career-high goal streak. The Avalanche are 6-0-0 this season when Colton scores.
450
Andrew Cogliano accumulated his 450th career point with a goal on Nov. 18 at Dallas.
QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK
“I felt like with the way we were playing if we could lock it down a little more defensively, take care of the puck a little bit better, and try and ramp it up on the offensive side then we would give ourselves a chance. The guys kept playing tonight and playing together as a connected group. We were able to get a big win.”
- Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar on Nov 18 game against Dallas
