Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Puck Drop: 9:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. MT)
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Injury Reports
Colorado Avalanche:
Logan O’Connor (RW, lower-body) — Out (IR; may be an option but listed out for recent games).
Georgii Merkulov (C/F, undisclosed) — Out (IR-NR).
Trent Miner (G, undisclosed) — Out (IR-NR).
Zachary L’Heureux (LW, lower-body) — Also noted as out/IR in some reports.
Key forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas, Artturi Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and defensemen Cale Makar and Devon Toews are expected to be available.
Calgary Flames:
Jonathan Huberdeau (LW, hip) — Out (IR).
The Flames are otherwise relatively healthy but have struggled offensively without their top left wing.
Current Rosters / Key Personnel
Avalanche (strong core remaining):
Forwards: Nathan MacKinnon (A), Martin Nečas, Artturi Lehkonen, Gabriel Landeskog (C), Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, Jaden Schwartz, Fedor Svechkov, Nicolas Roy, Parker Kelly, T.J. Hughes.
Defense: Cale Makar (A), Devon Toews, Sam Malinski, Brett Kulak, Josh Manson, Brent Burns, Noah Juulsen.
Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood / Scott Wedgewood (Wedgewood projected as likely starter on the back-to-back after Blackwood’s recent starts).
Flames:
Forwards: Mikael Backlund (C), Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Yegor Sharangovich, Joel Farabee, Ryan Strome, Martin Pospíšil, Adam Klapka, Brennan Othmann, Matvei Gridin, Maxim Tsyplakov, others.
Defense: Kevin Bahl, Zach Whitecloud, Šimon Nemec, Zayne Parekh, Jake Middleton, Yan Kuznetsov, Joel Hanley.
Goalies: Dustin Wolf (projected starter), Devin Cooley.
Recent Team Forms
Avalanche (2-1-0): Opened with high-scoring wins (including 8-4 and 6-1 victories) before a narrow 3-2 road loss at Winnipeg on Oct. 7. They are averaging over 5 goals per game early and possess elite possession and shot metrics. Playing the second half of a back-to-back with travel. Special teams have been strong on the penalty kill.
Flames (0-3-0): Winless and outscored significantly (roughly 16-3 through three games). Losses include heavy defeats to Seattle and Vancouver. Offensive generation has been limited (≈1 goal per game), and they sit at the bottom of the early standings. Home ice and rest (several days off) are their main advantages.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Nathan MacKinnon / Martin Nečas line vs. Calgary’s top defensive pair and Backlund line: MacKinnon’s elite speed and playmaking against Calgary’s structure will be decisive.
Cale Makar / Devon Toews vs. Flames top forwards (Coronato, Frost, Farabee): Colorado’s premier pairing should control play and transition.
Artturi Lehkonen / Gabriel Landeskog vs. Calgary’s depth: Two-way forwards who excel at creating and shutting down chances.
Goaltending: Projected Wedgewood (COL) vs. Wolf (CGY). Wolf has struggled early; Colorado’s high-volume offense will test him.
Special teams: Avalanche power play (dangerous early) against a Flames penalty kill that has been under pressure.
Series History
Colorado has dominated the matchup in recent years. The Avalanche hold a strong record against Calgary dating back several seasons (including a dominant stretch with multiple multi-goal wins). All-time the series is competitive historically, but Colorado has won the large majority of games since 2019-20 (roughly 14-1-3 in one cited span) and continued that edge into 2025-26 with multiple wins. Expect Colorado to control possession and scoring chances based on recent trends.
Betting Trends
Colorado is a heavy favorite due to superior talent, early form, and head-to-head dominance. Calgary’s rest advantage and home ice provide some counterbalance on a back-to-back for the visitors. Early-season totals lean toward the over given Colorado’s offensive output and Calgary’s defensive issues, though sample sizes are small.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 240
Calgary Flames 6
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, October 7, 2026
