Preview: Avs meet Mammoth for a quick rematch

SB Nation

The Colorado Avalanche have been busy this morning announcing the release and sale of the much-anticipated Quebec Nordiques alternate jersey. Still, they will be even busier tonight at the newly renovated

Delta Center in Utah as they play the Mammoth for the second time in two weeks. The Avalanche got away with a 2-1 victory at home last time out despite being outplayed in much of the game. Will Utah get its revenge on their home sheet? Or do the Avalanche have a better showing in them this time around?

Colorado Avalanche: 5-0-1

The Opponent: Utah Mammoth 4-0-2

Time: 8:00 p.m. MT

Watch: ESPN, ESPN+

Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado is six games into a condensed October schedule and is off to a strong start. The Olympics will throw a hair-loop into this season’s schedule, and we’ve seen that in the teams and players who are hot and the teams and players who are cold.

Among the hot-streak players sit the Avalanche top-line, who have combined for a whopping 27 points in six contests. That’s 4.5 points a game so far, which is so gawdy that it doesn’t seem sustainable, but it’s possible that this isn’t even as good as the top line can be, as they should get more familiar and even better as the year wears on.

It sounds like Kiviranta is still a no-go, which means we will get the double-rookie 4th line. Gavin Brindley and Zahkar Bardakov haven’t amassed a ton of minutes, but that shelter should help confidence levels. Brindley even had a goal against Dallas. Let’s see if the two of them can take advantage of limited opportunities and combine for some offensive production.

MacKenzie Blackwood never played for the Eagles despite being loaned to the team in Loveland for a conditioning stint, but it does feel like he’s not quite ready to take the net back from Scott Wedgewood. The good news is that he shouldn’t feel any rush or consternation about waiting it out, as Wedgewood is playing incredibly well. Wedgie will get the nod this evening.

Projected Lineup:

Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabe Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton — Jack Drury — Viktor Olofsson
Parker Kelly — Zahkar Bardakov — Gavin Brindley

Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Josh Manson — Brent Burns
Ilya Solovyov — Sam Malinski

Scott Wedgewood
Trent Miner

Utah Mammoth

The Mammoth should feel good about their start and how they are playing early into 2025-26, as well, and despite losing in the first matchup, they should feel good about a rematch with Colorado, too. Most of the locker room, including Nathan MacKinnon, thought that the Mammoth had done enough to win, but that the Avalanche took advantage of limited opportunities and stole one. If they can replicate that this evening, they could hand the Avs their first regulation loss of the season.

A shining light in that first contest was Karel Vejmelk, who is the likely starter again this evening. I’m trying not to think too hard about it, but it does feel like the Avalanche gets goalied more often than other squads, and this poses a threat in that category. Be on the lookout for a more in-depth look at this trend from me in the weeks to come.