The Colorado Avalanche, holding the fourth spot in the Western Conference, will face off against the struggling Chicago Blackhawks, currently at the bottom of the standings. The game is set for Thursday at 9:00 PM ET at the United Center.
Colorado enters the matchup following a convincing 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on February 27. Over their last 10 games, the Avalanche have maintained a record of 4-5-1. Offensively, they have averaged three goals per game, totaling 30 goals in that span. However, defensively, they have allowed an equal number of goals, conceding three per game over the same period.
Contrastingly, the Blackhawks have struggled, managing only one win in their last 10 outings, with a record of 1-6-3. They've averaged 1.8 goals per game, scoring a total of 18 goals during that stretch. Defensively, they've also allowed 30 goals, averaging three goals against per game.
The game presents an opportunity for the Avalanche to capitalize on their stronger form against the struggling Blackhawks, who will be aiming to turn their fortunes around with a much-needed win on home ice.
Colorado Avalanche projected lineups
Forwards
- Artturi Lehkonen- Nathan MacKinnon- Mikko Rantanen
- Miles Wood- Ross Colton- Logan O'Connor
- Zach Parise- Ryan Johansen- Jonathan Drouin
- Andrew Cogliano- Chris Wagner- Joel Kiviranta
Defensemen
- Devon Toews- Cale Makar
- Samuel Girard- Josh Manson
- Jack Johnson- Bowen Byram
Goalies
- Alexandar Georgiev
- Justus Annunen
Colorado Avalanche starting goalie
Alexandar Georgiev will most likely start for the Colorado Avalanche. Below are his stats this season.
- Games Played (GP): 49
- Games Started (GS): 48
- Wins: 31
- Losses: 14
- Overtime Losses (OTL): 3
- Goals Against (GA): 138
- Goals Against per Game (GA/G): 2.88
- Shots Against (SA): 1376
- Saves (SV): 1239
- Save Percentage (SV%): .900
- Shutouts (SO): 2
- Time on Ice per Game (TOI/G): 58 minutes and 36 seconds
Chicago Blackhawks projected lineups
Forwards
- Anthony Beauvillier - Connor Bedard - Philipp Kurashev
- Colin Blackwell - Jason Dickinson - Joey Anderson
- Nick Foligno - Tyler Johnson - Taylor Raddysh
- Ryan Donato - MacKenzie Entwistle - Reese Johnson
Defensemen
- Alex Vlasic - Seth Jones
- Kevin Korchinski - Jaycob Megna
- Jarred Tinordi - Louis Crevier
Goalie
- Petr Mrazek
- Arvid Soderblom
Chicago Blackhawks starting goalie
Petr Mrazek is expected to start for the Chicago Blackhawks. Here are his stats for this NHL season:
- Games Played (GP): 41
- Games Started (GS): 39
- Wins: 13
- Losses: 22
- Overtime Losses (OTL): 4
- Goals Against (GA): 116
- Goals Against Average (GA/G): 2.99
- Shots Against (SA): 1277
- Saves (SV): 1161
- Save Percentage (SV%): .909
- Shutouts (SO): 1
- Time on Ice per Game (TOI/G): 56 minutes and 48 seconds