Senators at Avalanche preview

SENATORS (6-3-5) at AVALANCHE (8-6-0)
2 p.m. ET; NHLN, ALT, TSN5, RDS, NHL.TV

Stockholm native and Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog and Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is from Landsbro, Sweden, a four-hour drive from Stockholm, are the faces of the event. However, Senators center Matt Duchene, acquired from the Avalanche in a three-team trade Sunday, has become a focal point.
"That comes with the territory of this situation, but I'm just trying to be one of the guys in here," Duchene said. "It's about fitting into my new environment. I don't want to stand out."
Another subplot is that Landeskog and Senators defenseman Fredrik Claesson, also from Stockholm, are friends and have known each other since they were 11 years old.

Players to watch

Senators forward Mike Hoffman is moving from the third line to play with Duchene and Zack Smith on the first line. Hoffman has points in six straight games (one goal, seven assists).
Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard, who was acquired from the Nashville Predators in the three-trade, will make his debut with his new team after joining them for practice here Tuesday.

They said it

"Hockey interest is great in Sweden and they just don't get the opportunity to watch NHL hockey as much because of the time difference. To bring the game over here once a year at least, it's a great way to showcase the League and showcase the players and in that way grow the game." -- Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog
"Not only here in Stockholm, but throughout the country most people are extremely excited to be able to watch us play Colorado for two games in Sweden, in the Swedish time zone." -- Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson

Senators projected lineup

Zack Smith -- Matt Duchene -- Mike Hoffman
Ryan Dzingel -- Derick Brassard -- Mark Stone
Tom Pyatt -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Alexandre Burrows
Christopher DiDomenico -- Nate Thompson
Fredrik Claesson -- Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf -- Johnny Oduya
Chris Wideman -- Cody Ceci
Ben Harpur
Craig Anderson
Mike Condon
Scratched:Jack Rodewald, Nick Paul
Injured: Bobby Ryan (fractured finger), Mark Borowiecki (illness)

Avalanche projected lineup

Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Sven Andrighetto -- Alex Kerfoot -- Nail Yakupov
Matt Nieto -- J.T. Compher -- Blake Comeau
Gabriel Bourque -- Colin Wilson -- Rocco Grimaldi
Mark Barberio -- Erik Johnson
Samuel Girard -- Tyson Barrie
Nikita Zadorov --
Chris Bigas
Semyon Varlamov
Jonathan Bernier
Scratched:Carl Soderberg, A.J. Greer, Andrei Mironov
Injured:Tyson Jost (lower body), Patrik Nemeth (undisclosed), Anton Lindholm (broken jaw)

Status report

Senators coach Guy Boucher said he'd decide after warmups if Harpur was going to play as the seventh defenseman or if he'd use Paul to have a traditional lineup with 12 forwards and six defensemen. … Compher and Wilson will play after missing the past six games with injuries. Soderberg is in Denver awaiting the birth of his third child.

Stat pack

The Global Series games will be the 27th and 28th regular-season games the NHL has played overseas, and the ninth and 10th at Ericsson Globe.