As pointed out, the Avs have been the class of the NHL so far, sitting atop the standings with a six-point cushion over the second-place Hurricanes. They have been, as the kids say, a wagon.
They went nearly two months (from Dec. 16 to Feb. 15) without losing in regulation, piling up the points in a dominant run. Along the way, they've amassed a sparkling 23-3-2 record at the Ball Arena.
"It's a huge test," agreed Milan Lucic. "Obviously, not only best team in the NHL, but probably the best home record as well. Like I said, it's a huge test and both teams coming off losses, so both teams are looking to bounce back and it should make for a good battle here tonight."
The Avs were expected to be a Cup favourite this year and they have lived up to the billing.
The Flames, of course, have also been pretty wagon-esque. They are leading their division and sit second in the West - 13 points behind the Avs but with two games in hand. They have scored a ton of goals, and their +56 differential trails only the Mile High crew and the Panthers.
They have already played most of the league's other top teams - Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto, St. Louis and Minny, to name a few - so to face Colorado for the first time this late into the season makes for a salivating Saturday night matchup.
In an odd scheduling anomaly, they play them again next Sunday back in Denver before closing out the season-series March 29 at the Scotiabank Saddledome (
click here for tickets
).
"Yeah, it's obviously exciting - especially because, like you said, we haven't played them yet," said Lucic. "Top team in the league, well-rounded, great forwards, great D, good goalie. It's a huge test for us and it's going to take all guys in the lineup tonight to beat this team."
"You use these as measuring stick-type games and to play them three times in the next 25 games or 20 games, or whatever it's going to be - it's obviously a very important game, so it would be great to get the first one and try to get a win," echoed Tkachuk. "But they're a very tough team at home, so we're expecting their best effort. We're a team who they know is probably looking at us as another top team, hopefully, in the west, too, so I'm sure they're going to be coming for us as well."
