Game Preview: Avalanche at Red Wings

COLORADO AVALANCHE (37-22-6) VS DETROIT RED WINGS (40-18-8)
11 AM MT | LITTLE CAESARS ARENA 
WATCH: ALTITUDE
LISTEN: 92.5FM/950 AM 

The Colorado Avalanche will look to complete their four-game road trip (3-0-0) on a high note Saturday morning when they take on the Detroit Red Wings. The Avs defeated the Red Wings 6-3 when the two teams faced off earlier this season at Ball Arena on January 16. 

LAST TIME OUT  

The Avalanche won their fourth-straight game Thursday night, besting the Ottawa Senators 5-4. Forwards Lars Eller and Evan Rodrigues, Valeri Nichushkin and Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar all found the back of the net. Goalie Jonas Johansson turned away 32 of the 36 shots he faced in his first start of the season. 

The Red Wings last played on Tuesday, losing to the Nashville Predators 2-1. Forward Alex Chiasson scored the team’s lone goal. Goaltender Ville Husso stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced. 

HISTORY

The Avs are now 59-61-10 all-time against the Red Wings. 

CONNECTIONS 

Center Darren Helm played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings before being acquired by the Avalanche at last year’s trade deadline and played a vital role in helping the team hoist the Stanley Cup this past season. In 744 games with Detroit Helm scored 112 goals and tallied 139 assists. 

SCOUTING THE RED WINGS

Center Dylan Larkin leads Detroit in both goals (25) and assists (39) in 66 games played. Forward David Perron is second on the team in points with 41 (16g/25a) in 67 appearances. 

LINEUP UPDATES     

Avalanche

Pavel Francouz  Lower body

Darren Helm     Lower body

Erik Johnson   Lower body

Gabriel Landeskog  Lower body

Artturi Lehkonen  Upper body

Josh Manson  Lower body

Red Wings

Ben Chiarot  Unknown

Robby Fabbri  Lower body

Mark Pysyk  Lower body

Michael Rasmussen  Lower body 

DOING THE MOST

Center Nathan MacKinnon (12g/9a) is now tied with Gabriel Landeskog (8g/13a) as the team’s active leader in points against Detroit. 

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Center Dylan Larkin remains the Red Wings’ leader in career points against the Avalanche with 11 (2g/9a) in 13 contests. 

STATS FOR KEEPS 

Name | GP | GS | Record (W-L-OT) | GAA

Colorado

Pavel Francouz | 15 | 15 | 7-7-1 | 2.53

Alexandar Georgiev | 49 | 49 | 30-14-5 | 2.61

Jonas Johansson | 1 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0.00

Keith Kincaid | 1 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 2.15

Detroit 

Magnus Hellberg | 12 | 10 | 3-7-1 | 3.11 

Ville Husso | 49 | 49 | 25-17-6 | 2.92 

NUMBERS GAME 

490 

With a goal and two assists Thursday night, Mikko Rantanen now has 490 career points, taking sole possession of ninth place in franchise history in career points, passing Alex Tanguay. 

300

Defenseman Devon Toews skated in his 300th career game Thursday evening. 

45

Rantanen’s goal was his 45th of the season and the most by a Finnish player in a season since Teemu Selanne finished with 48 during the 2006-07 campaign. 

QUOTE(S) THAT LEFT A MARK 

“[Colorado G Jonas Johansson] made the saves when he needed to and that’s all on you can ask from a goalie.” – Evan Rodrigues on Jonas Johansson’s performance Thursday