All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — May 17.

Colorado Hockey Now

When Artturi Lehkonen made his season debut in November, the Avs were so desperately starved for depth scoring that he was playing 23-25 minutes seemingly every night. And for good reason — he was delivering. He picked right up where he left off in last year’s postseason and looked like he didn’t skip a beat. Not bad for a player that missed all of training camp and the preseason.

He was on track for a whopper of a career year, at least in the goals department. But then the trade deadline happened and the well dried up. I broke down Lehkonen’s season in the article below. Give it a read if you haven’t already.

Read More: What To Make of Artturi Lehkonen’s 2024-25 Season

Stanley Cup Playoff Recap

Game 6 — Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers: The Toronto Maple Leafs actually did it. After getting booed out of their building in an embarrassing 6-1 loss in Game 5, the Leafs clamped down defensively and shut out the Panthers 2-0 to force Game 7. They got in front of pucks, laid off some massive clean hits, and made Joseph Woll’s night as easy as humanly possible. Also, Auston Matthews stepped up with a big goal. That series finale on Sunday is going to be must-watch.

Tonight’s Schedule

• Game 6: Winnipeg Jets at Dallas Stars (6 pm MT on ABC & ESPN+)

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pens’ coaching search continues. Two more candidates were interviewed as Kyle Dubas starts to narrow down his long list of candidates.

Montreal Hockey Now: What the Habs need this offseason as we get closer to the draft and free agency.

Philly Hockey Now: Rick Tocchet was introduced as the 25th coach in franchise history on Friday. And he’s well aware of the difficult job at hand.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Hopefully, it’s not anything severe, but the Devils captain suffered an injury at the World Championships. You know… the tournament that Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are participating in.

NYI Hockey Now: Could you imagine this scenario: The Leafs lost, and Brendan Shanahan takes a job with the Isles. Why it would be a good fit.

Detroit Hockey Now: Ken Holland was introduced as L.A. Kings general manager, sitting side-by-side with a legend he brought to the Red Wings more than 25 years ago. Time is seriously just a big giant circle.

Vegas Hockey Now: Jack Eichel was stunned by the loss to Edmonton and expressed his feelings during Vegas’ exit interviews.

Speaking of which, I really wish the Avs did exit interviews. We’ve asked for them for years, but the organization has never been interested in it for some reason. I remember when the Seattle Kraken beat the Avs in Game 7. The media went into the dressing room knowing this was the only chance we had to speak to players, especially those on expiring deals, before July 1.

I chatted with J.T. Compher 1-on-1 about the loss and the series as a whole. And then I asked him about his contract status and if he had given any thought to the idea that this could be his last game with the Avs. He didn’t like the question, he didn’t answer it, and he walked off. I honestly don’t blame him. I shouldn’t have to ask him that five minutes after losing a Game 7. That would’ve been better for exit interviews after the sting of the loss wears off.

Chicago Hockey Now: The Blackhawks interviewed Jeff Blashill during their coaching search. What do they see in him?

The post Deen’s Daily: Assessing Lehkonen’s Season; Leafs Force Game 7 — Can Winnipeg Do The Same? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

After missing all of training camp and the start of the regular season, Lehkonen burst onto the scene on Nov. 5 and quickly made an impact.

He scored in his season debut back and had three goals and six points in his first five games while playing more than 22 minutes each night. It was a massive boost for a team starving for depth scoring.

The Avalanche had started the year in a bind. Still without Gabe Landeskog, they were also missing Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) and Lehkonen (injury). And on opening night, Jonathan Drouin also suffered an injury. They basically had five wingers capable of playing regularly in the top six, and the only one that was healthy was Mikko Rantanen.

They did what they’ve done in past years while waiting for guys to get back. They rode the three-headed monster of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Rantanen.

Lehkonen wasted no time being productive in his return. He didn’t need much time to get going and was thrown right to the wolves. Throughout his career, he’s played more than 24 minutes in a regular-season game 16 times. Ten of those came between November and the March 7 trade deadline this season.

But that’s when his production dried up. It was strange to see unfold. He wasn’t necessarily playing poorly, he just couldn’t produce.

Remember when the Avs smashed the San Jose Sharks on the eve of the deadline? The night they traded for Brock Nelson?

Lehkonen finished that game with two assists and had 26 goals and 13 assists in 51 games. He was scoring at an incredible pace and was four goals away from his first 30-goal campaign with 19 games remaining. But the rest of the season was different

Lehkonen, playing mostly on the top line, had just one goal and five assists the rest of the way. And in the playoffs, Lehkonen scored three goals and added an assist.

What made his late-season struggles even more frustrating was that he was the only one experiencing it. MacKinnon and Makar each had 18 points in their last 16 games after the deadline. Nichushkin took off with nine goals and six assists in his last 18 games. Nelson and Martin Necas both had six goals and seven assists in 18 games. Jonathan Drouin, who played 13 games after the deadline, recorded 10 points. Even Devon Toews had a whopping 14 points in 17 games.

The other five parts of the top six forward group and the top pair on the blueline. They were all producing at a solid rate. Then there was Lehkonen, who couldn’t quite figure it out despite playing most of those minutes with his usual linemates from the previous stretch of games in MacKinnon and Necas.

Lehkonen is turning 30 in July and still has two years remaining on his contract. He’s making only $4.5 million per season and might be one of the more undervalued forwards in the league.

But his season, at least offensively, was a clear view of the issues the Avs have faced for each of the past two years. With a top-heavy lineup for most of the year, the top forwards are often playing way more than they should in the first half of the season. The fact that 10 of the top 16 games in ice time in Lehkonen’s career came in a three-month stretch says it all.

Lehkonen will probably blow past the 45 points he had this year. But the Avs would be wise to enter the season with a more complete lineup and a proper top six on opening night. I’ve written about this before, but they’re already in a better situation than they were a year ago.

They know (as of right now) that Lehkonen is healthy, Nichushkin is available, Landeskog is back, and Necas is ready to go. They have MacKinnon as their stable force in the top center spot. They just need one more guy to fill in the 2C role.

They need these guys to make it through the offseason, training camp, and preseason so they can start the season with the best lineup in a season opener since the Cup year.

If so, it’ll allow Lehkonen to settle into his role with consistent linemates and ice time. Assuming they can stay relatively healthy — something Lehkonen has struggled with in the last three years.

The post What to Make of Artturi Lehkonen’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Drouin’s future with the team is a mystery. I genuinely don’t know what the team thinks of him, or where they see him fit. And more importantly, how much money they think he’s worth.

In regular season play, Drouin has 93 points over the last two seasons in 122 games. That’s basically 63 points in every 82 games. Among all forwards, he’s third behind Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen since joining the Avalanche. He’s got more points than Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Ross Colton.

That’s a pretty solid contributor.

But there are reasons why he might not be back. A lot of them.

For starters, the return of Gabe Landeskog makes it a tougher fit. With Martin Necas, Landeskog, Nichushkin, and Lehkonen all locked in for at least another year, it’s hard to find a spot in the top six for Drouin. And if he’s not playing in the top six, is he a useful contributor? The last seven games say otherwise.

Also, injuries haven’t helped his cause. Drouin is 30 years old and was in and out of the lineup quite a bit this season. He also got injured in Game 82 in 2024 and missed the entire Winnipeg series. The Avs have suffered through a lot of uncertainty in their forward group. Nichushkin is often injured or absent, Lehkonen doesn’t exactly have a full bill of health, and who knows what Landeskog’s future will look like?

Is it worth keeping Drouin despite all of that? Or would the team rather use his money on a more reliable player?

And speaking of which, what kind of contract is Drouin looking for? There were times last year when it felt like Drouin was worthy of a 4+ year contract. But at this point, will the Avs be willing to pull the trigger on another more than a year or two? If so, would Drouin go elsewhere to get term on his next deal?

These are all questions that need to be answered by July 1.

Scenario 1: He Leaves

If he’s looking for term, or anything more than $3-3.5 million per season, then the Avs will likely say goodbye to Drouin.

Scenario 2: He Stays

If he’s willing to sign for one or two years, at no more than $6 million, I can see Chris MacFarland entertaining the idea of keeping him. But this would also only happen if other money is moved out. Whether it’s Ross Colton, Miles Wood, or both. As currently constructed, the Avs can’t afford Drouin and don’t have a place for him in the lineup. Especially if they’re going to use a large chunk of their salary cap space on a No. 2 center

Final Verdict

I’ve gone back and forth on this for a week, but I think he ultimately stays.

Playing on the third line won’t get the most out of this player. But I do think having him allows the Avs to spread the wealth. For example, if Lehkonen and Charlie Coyle build chemistry, why not play Drouin in the top six and have three strong lines?

I’m an optimistic guy, but even I know that there’s pretty much no chance that the top six goes the entire season without an injury. So why not keep Drouin for that reason? He was nearly a point per game player last year despite all of his injury issues. It doesn’t hurt to have him as an “in case of emergency, break glass” option.

I also think MacKinnon wants him here, and the Avs would be wise to keep him for that reason, too.

I bet he stays, and it’s a two-year contract with a $2.9 million AAV. And the Avs move Wood to fit him in.

Drouin is worth far more than that, but this is one of those unique situations where the player truly has found a home. I don’t think he’d want to mess with happy, or the opportunity to continue to play with his pal MacKinnon.

What say you?

The post Leave or Stay: Jonathan Drouin Enters Third Straight Year as UFA appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

From Monday’s Game 5 opening puck drop at American Airlines Center, the ice was tilted in the Dallas Stars’ favor. They responded to their embarrassing Game 4 loss at Ball Arena by stunning Mackenzie Blackwood with a goal just nine seconds in. And the rest is history.

The Avalanche were defeated 6-2 in just about their most frustrating performance of the season. There were uncharacteristic blunders throughout the night. They had too many no-shows from vital pieces of the lineup. And if that wasn’t bad enough, some of the calls against them were atrocious.

Now, Colorado trails the series 3-2 and heads home on the brink of elimination. Game 6 is on Thursday.

Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored when they were trailing 3-0, but that surge didn’t last long. Before you could prepare for a potential comeback, Dallas added two goals and seemingly put the game away before the second period was over.

The opening goal was scored off a tight angle. Wyatt Johnston, who had yet to score in the series, put it between Blackwood and the post to make it 1-0 early. Colorado had an entire period to fight back, but couldn’t get one past Jake Oettinger at the other end. The Stars’ netminder finished with 26 saves.

Before the period was over, a shot from the Stars went off Blackwood’s blocker and up into the air, came down, and hit the back of Blackwood and trickled in. It was that kind of night. The second terrible goal from Colorado’s starter.

Dallas added to their lead early in the third period. After a save at one end, the Stars rushed up the ice the other way and Mikko Rantanen found the scoresheet, getting his first goal of the series, too.

Mixed into all these Stars goals were a whole bunch of good looks for the Avs. At one point, they were out-chancing Dallas 8-6 but trailing 3-0. The offensive opportunities were there, but the commitment to defense was not. Turnovers were an issue. That was a gigantic drop-off from Game 4.

The Avs finally got some life off a nice redirection goal from Lehkonen. And just over two minutes later, MacKinnon beat Oettinger to make it a one-goal game. For a moment, it felt like the Avs were going to crawl out of this and make it interesting.

But a bad penalty called on Sam Malinski quickly put that to rest. Johnston tallied a goal on the ensuing power play to make it 4-2. And before the period ended, Mason Marchment redirected a shot from Alexander Petrovic to regain a three-goal cushion.

Colorado pulled Blackwood after the second period, letting Scott Wedgewood finish the game. He didn’t let in a goal, but Dallas added an empty-netter for good measure.

The series that keeps on delivering will now shift back to Ball Arena. If the Avs lose, it’ll be another disappointing loss to the Stars. If they win, it’ll set up a Game 7 on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

We’ll see how Jared Bednar’s club responds.

Bad: Letting the Stars’ stars into the series

This was something I’ve been writing about for days. If you were going to win this series without the nerves of past failures creeping in, you were going to need another solid effort in Game 5, similar to the one two nights prior.

The Stars’ top stars were not yet in the series. None of them were producing offensively. But after the game they had on Monday, they’ve got all the confidence in the world to come to Denver and end this thing before Game 7.

Johnston had two goals and an assist.

Rantanen had a goal and two assists.

Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist.

This was never going to be easy, but that performance on Monday has made this that much harder. The Avs have to battle through the demons of losing at home in Game 6 to the Stars last year, while juggling the many, many previous Game 7 losses they’ve had in years past, if they force a winner-take-all finale.

Good: …

I need to preface this by saying that I’m not usually one to call out bad officiating. I’m a believer that the calls usually balance out for both teams. But … this one was different.

This game wasn’t won or lost because of penalty calls.

But, I guess I’ll say it like this: Kudos to the Dallas Stars for finding a way to get the calls they got tonight. “Good” on them.

The Malinski penalty changed the tune of the game when the Avs had found life. Did he get an elbow up? Sure. Yes. But the sell job was impeccable. If Malinski was going to the box, Sam Steel should’ve followed for embellishment.

The Charlie Coyle slashing penalty was certainly a decision. And who could forget Jamie Benn skating into a stationary Josh Manson stick way behind the play and selling it. I genuinely couldn’t believe this one.

I don’t believe the Avalanche had enough of a commitment to defense to win this game, regardless of how these calls played out. But, sarcastically, I applaud the Stars for getting the calls they needed.

We’ll see how Game 6 unfolds.

The post Good & Bad: On The Brink of Elimination — Avalanche No-Show in Game 5 Loss appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

But we’re basically nitpicking things from a 5-1 victory at this point.

The one other blemish from the game was a quiet night from the second line. Center Brock Nelson and wingers Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin weren’t all that noticeable. And the numbers back it up.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas had a stellar Corsi For Percentage. They had 22 shot attempts for and only eight against in their 12:43 of ice time at 5-on-5.

The fourth line was incredible yet again, putting 11 shot attempts toward the goal while allowing only one — good for a 91.67 CF% in 5:49 of ice time.

But the second line finished at 48% — allowing 13 attempts while posting 12. It’s not a terrible number, but given how the other two lines looked, it was far behind. (The third line was harder to track because of Colton’s injury.)

Changing up the lines after a win isn’t always recommended. And I don’t think it’s going to happen to start Game 2. But if the game starts slow for the Avs, is it time to consider reuniting MacKinnon and Drouin?

When head coach Jared Bednar was experimenting with his lines late last month, I don’t think we ever ended up with the ideal setup before players started going down with injuries or rest. Initially, I was all for playing Nichushkin with MacKinnon and Necas. But Lehkonen was playing just fine on the top line.

I then thought maybe Drouin would be an option to replace Necas on that line, setting up Nelson with Nichushkin and Necas instead. But that trio also wasn’t all that great.

Would the best combination be to simply swap Lehkonen and Drouin? It’s tough to say. If so, it means MacKinnon wouldn’t have either of the two forechecking wingers on his line. But he’s got chemistry with Necas, and he’s got chemistry with Drouin. The three of them can give it a go.

It’s not that Lehkonen deserves to be demoted; it’s about finding a way to get the second line going. If Nelson gets both Nichushkin and Lehkonen on his wings, that could help distribute the production a bit more among the top two lines.

And if so, it would also put Drouin back where he’s most successful, playing on the wing with MacKinnon.

Bednar tried all of these combinations for this exact reason. He needed to know what works and what doesn’t in case he finds himself in a situation where a change needs to be made.

Again, there probably won’t be any changes to start Game 2. But if that second line doesn’t get going, and if that starts to hurt the Avs, then count me in on swapping Lehkonen and Drouin.

But hey, we could also see Nichushkin, Drouin, and Nelson dominate on Monday night, and things remain the same for the entire series. That’s the beauty of this team. Eventually, the talent will probably come through.

What say you?

Donate To The CHN Playoff Travel Fund: VENMO or PAYPAL

The post Should The Avalanche Put Jonathan Drouin Back On Nathan MacKinnon’s Line? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The post 10 Observations: Avalanche Sent a Message in Game 1 Rout of Stars (+) appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist, and the Avs scored three times in the later stages of the third period to put the game away. But when the game was tied, and when the Avs led by a goal or two, Blackwood was a difference maker.

It’s his first playoff start after appearing in 252 regular-season games.

“I was waiting to play in the playoffs for a long time, and it was great to finally get my first one,” Blackwood said. “The way I approached the game today was the same, obviously a little bit more intensity, you could feel it around the rink. But you have to go do the same job.”

The Avs got timely goals, getting the opening goal from Artturi Lehkonen before MacKinnon added to the lead with a power-play tally. After Dallas got one puck past Blackwood, Devon Toews, Charlie Coyle, and MacKinnon put the finishing touches on the win.

“I don’t want to change things about my game,” Blackwood said. “I know what I have to do to have that success. So try to just approach it like a big game and go do the best I can.”

The Avalanche came storming out of the gate looking like the more rested squad. They led 7-1 in shots before the first commercial break but couldn’t get one past goalie Jake Oettinger. In fact, despite that advantage, they still seemed like they were playing rusty and not taking full advantage of their opportunities. Cale Makar had a handful of good looks that missed the net entirely.

And then there were the power plays. Speaking of Makar, he drew two penalties in 36 seconds to give Colorado a lengthy two-man advantage. Not only did the Avs not score on either one, but they didn’t really get any great looks. They passed up a couple of good shots and were trying to unnecessarily force passes to the inside man.

After killing the penalties, Dallas answered back with some chances of their own. Blackwood hadn’t been tested to that point, but was up to the task when he finally was. Late in the first, the shots were suddenly 8-8 with the Stars also failing to score on a power play.

Through 20 minutes, Colorado led 11-8 in shots, and neither team got anything past the goalies.

Then came the second.

Blackwood made his best saves in the middle frame. None were better than the three consecutive stops he had just before the Avs opened the scoring — the last of which came against Wyatt Johnston. The Avs took the puck the other way, and Oettinger saved a Lehkonen shot. The rebound bounced back out to Lehkonen just as he was dropped by Mavrik Bourque, and the Avs’ forward inadvertently flung the puck into the back of the net using his skate.

It was reviewed for a distinct kicking motion but was quickly deemed a good goal.

Almost six minutes after that, Stars center Roope Hintz got nabbed with a double-minor for high-sticking MacKinnon. The official didn’t initially make the call, but after observing a bloodied MacKinnon behind the Avs’ goal, the play was blown dead, and a review confirmed the penalty.

Colorado scored 58 seconds later. It was MacKinnon, firing a shot that deflected in off the glove of defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin.

It was a big goal from the top unit after letting the early 5-on-3 go to waste.

“It’s good to get those opportunities. Yeah, you want to finish, but they stayed at it. They kept a cool head, and they capitalized later on,” Coyle said of the power play. “That’s huge. Just stay with it. Don’t let frustrations creep in and just take care of business.”

Good: Blackwood Was Exceptional

Everything about that debut was exactly what the Avs needed from Blackwood. It wasn’t just his first career playoff game, but it came after a recent stretch where he wasn’t playing at his best. Head coach Jared Bednar commented several times in recent weeks about how leaky his top goalie had been.

But Blackwood was up to the task. If anything, it further ensured that Colorado has little reason to stress about its goaltending. He won on the road, against a high-seeded Stars team that had a lot to prove, and did it with relative ease.

The only tally that beat him in Game 1 was a redirect on a power play while he didn’t have his goalie stick.  Blackwood faced 18 high-danger opportunities — nearly double the 10 that the Avs put on Oettinger at the other end. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Stars’ expected goals rate was 4.01.

Excellent start for Colorado’s long-term guy.

Bad: Ross Colton, Lower-Body Injury

There’s nothing more on brand for the Avs than playing a solid game, winning 5-1, but losing a guy to injury in the process. Colton played a team-low 7:04 and had only one shift in the third period.

Bednar said after the game that it was a lower-body injury, and we’ll get further updates about his status on Sunday.

This is why you have depth. If Colton can’t go, it becomes an obvious hole in the lineup that can be filled by Gabriel Landeskog. But even without Landeskog as an option, the Avs prepared for injuries enough that both Miles Wood and Jimmy Vesey are solid options, too.

Both of those guys played well down the stretch, especially Wood.

We’ll see what happens with Colton between the end of this game and Monday’s Game 2.

The post Good & Bad: Blackwood Shines in Playoff Debut, Avalanche Take Game 1 in Dallas appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Avalanche lost 5-4 in St. Louis on Saturday.

10 Observations

1. Sam Malinski’s irrelevant goal ended a pretty cool streak. Before this loss, the Avalanche had won 30 straight games when scoring four or more goals. They were 30-2-0 when doing so.

This is even funnier when you realize those two regulation losses with four goals were the first two games of the season. I still can’t believe how bad the goaltending was back then.

2. Twelve straight wins for the St. Louis Blues is quite the run. The Vegas Golden Knights (or potentially Winnipeg) are going to have their hands full in the first round. Especially if Jordan Binnington continues to play this well.

3. Do the Blues have a chance of catching the Avs? Yes, but it’s very, very unlikely. With four games remaining for both teams, St. Louis has to make up six points on the Avalanche to catch them in the standings. For example, Colorado would need to go 1-3-0 and the Blues 4-0-0.

4. Would anyone be upset if that happened? Other than ending the regular season on a bad note, would this be the worst thing in the world? It’s not going to happen, but could you imagine if the Avs managed to avoid that slugfest in the Central Division entirely, at least for a couple of rounds?

5. I chatted with Jared Bednar about this before the road trip, but the one year over the past three that the Avs finished the regular season strong was the year they didn’t get out of the first round. It’s a weird trend, but it’s a reminder that it’s not worth panicking over a 2-2-1 stretch with a playoff spot already locked up.

6. Should we be alarmed by the lack of production lately from Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen?

7. One man’s injury is another man’s opportunity. Kudos to Miles Wood for taking advantage of these last two games, scoring twice and adding an assist. He’s also awoken the offensive side of Charlie Coyle’s game.

Not to get ahead of myself, but if Wood continues to play this way and becomes a valuable piece for the playoffs, it’ll make everyone — including him — forget about what’s been a tough season to date.

8. It’s not a perfect comparison, but if he pulls that off, it would remind me of Darren Helm in 2022. It’s not that Helm had a bad regular season, but his role wasn’t quite etched in stone until the playoffs.

Then, Bednar shifted him to center, and he developed instant chemistry with Logan O’Connor and Andrew Cogliano and led the league in hits. The rest is history.

As for Wood, his ice time is up in these past two games, and you could see him looking more like the 2023-24 player that made a good impression with a new team.

9. Good news regarding the Jonathan Drouin and Martin Necas injuries. Both are considered day-to-day. Necas remained with the team through the end of the road trip but was too sore to play. Drouin flew back to Denver after suffering lower-body injury.

The Avs are off on Sunday, so the next update will be on Monday at practice at Family Sports. Gabriel Landeskog’s going to be there, too.

10. Speaking of injuries, what’s the deal with Samuel Girard? He’s the only one we didn’t get an update on during this road trip. Unless I missed something.

The post 10 Observations: Miles Wood Taking Full Advantage of Latest Opportunity appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The matchup is the Avalanche’s second game of a back-to-back. Due to weather, the team was delayed in Chicago after its shootout win over the Blackhawks and did not arrive in Columbus until this morning.

The Hawks held the Avs scoreless for nearly 50 minutes, up by two goals. Cale Makar grabbed a cross-ice pass from Nathan MacKinnon and ripped it over Spencer Knight’s glove at 10:43 in the third period. Martin Necas tied the game with 11 seconds left, but neither team found the back of the net in the extra frame.

READ MORE: 10 Observations: This Isn’t the Time for Injuries to Pile on the Avalanche

Artturi Lehkonen scored the game-winner in the shootout to give the Avs two points. It was the Finn’s first goal since March 10 — which was against the Blackhawks.

Scott Wedgewood started his second consecutive game and made 22 saves. Colorado struggled in the first two periods and broke down defensively to allow the Hawks’ two goals — one shorthanded and one even strength.

Jonathan Drouin took a hit against the boards in the first period — which he played a few shifts after — and eventually left the game. His status is unknown, but he is expected to be out of tonight’s lineup.

Jonathan Drouin (lower body) will not return to tonight's game.

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 3, 2025

The Blue Jackets are fifth in the Metropolitan Division and coming off an 8-4 win against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. The teams match up defensively as the league’s highest-scoring blue lines. Makar leads the league’s D-men in scoring with 29 goals and 58 assists, while Zach Werenski is in the No. 2 spot (20g/54a).

Season Series

• Oct. 12 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (L, 6-4)
• April 3 at Columbus Blue Jackets

Avalanche Injuries

• Gabriel Landeskog (knee, no timetable)
• Josh Manson (upper-body)
• Jonathan Drouin (lower-body)

Projected Avalanche Lines (Subject to Change)

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Valeri Nichushkin
Joel Kiviranta — Brock Nelson — Ross Colton
Jimmy Vesey — Charlie Coyle — Miles Wood
Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Logan O’Connor

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Ryan Lindgren — Sam Malinski
Keaton Middleton — Erik Johnson

Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

*Note: Blackwood and Girard were out against the Blackhawks, and no update was provided. Therefore, it is an assumption that both will play and may be incorrect.

Projected Starters (Subject to Change)

• Unconfirmed: Mackenzie Blackwood (COL)
• Unconfirmed: Elvis Merzlikins (CBJ)

Upcoming Milestones

• Brock Nelson — needs 2 goals for 300

How to Watch

• TV: Altitude TV
• Radio: 92.5 FM

The post Avalanche Game 77 at Columbus Blue Jackets: Lines, Notes & How To Watch appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Avs pretty much did to Chicago what the Calgary Flames did to them two nights prior. They erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and stole a second point in the process.

Given how the last handful of games have gone, it was nice to see the superstars take control of the game late and refuse a loss like this.

10 Observations

1. It’s way too early to know if Jonathan Drouin is going to miss any time. And if he does, if it’ll stretch into the playoffs. Either way, losing him so close to the end of the regular season for the second straight year would be brutally bad luck. Let’s hope that’s not the case.

2. Speaking of injuries, Martin Necas’ injury scare still worries me. That’s the type of injury that could linger into the next day. We’ll find out later this evening once the Avs take the ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

3. Schedule makers, what are you doing? If the Avalanche actually had something to play for, this would be a much bigger deal than it already is. But they dropped the puck at 9:52 p.m. ET in Chicago on Wednesday and will drop the puck at 7:08 p.m. against Columbus. That’s an insane turnaround with travel.

4. One more goal for Cale Makar to do the thing. He’d be the first defenseman since 2008-09 to reach 30 goals.

5. Would’ve loved to see Nathan MacKinnon beat up on a lesser opponent to give himself a better chance at winning the Art Ross Trophy. As things currently stand, he and Nikita Kucherov are tied with 111 points each. Although it’s worth noting that Kucherov and the Lightning have two games in hand.

It’s not looking good for MacKinnon. He had one assist against Chicago.

6. Am I missing something with Mackenzie Blackwood? Without any local media traveling to Chicago, there wasn’t an update provided on why Colorado’s starter did not dress. Kevin Mandolese served as the backup to Scott Wedgewood.

7. Pretty cool stat courtesy of Avalanche PR: The game-tying goal from Necas was the 10th 6-on-5 tally for the Avs this season. That not only leads the NHL, but it also breaks a franchise record for the most in one season.

8. Colorado is three wins away from reaching 50 in each of the last four seasons. The only other team that can get there (and probably will) is the Carolina Hurricanes. This felt like a pipe dream not too long ago.

9. Samuel Girard did not play in this game either. We’ll find out soon what the deal is there. Basically, status updates are needed for Drouin, Blackwood, and Girard while also keeping an eye on Necas after that scary play in Chicago.

That’s a lot.

10. Artturi Lehkonen made that shootout goal look easy. He was smiling ear to ear after clinching the win, too. Even though it doesn’t count as a goal, I wonder if that tally helps break him out of this scoring slump.

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