The Colorado Avalanche, the NHL’s hottest team with a league-best 44 points, roll into Madison Square Garden for a marquee matinee clash against the New York Rangers. This is the second meeting between these clubs this season, following Colorado’s dominant 6-3 home win over New York on November 20. The Avalanche are chasing history with their blistering start, while the Rangers aim to leverage their road prowess (12-4-1) to snap a dismal home skid. Puck drop promises fireworks, with Colorado’s high-octane offense testing Igor Shesterkin’s Vezina-caliber goaltending.
Venue and Game Details
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY (4 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10001). The iconic arena, home to the Rangers since 1968, seats 18,006 for hockey and features a raucous atmosphere—though New York’s recent home struggles (3-8-1) may temper the energy.
Puckdrop: Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. MT for Avalanche fans).
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national stream), ALT (Colorado), MSG (New York), SN (Canada). Doors open at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Team Records and Standings
The Avalanche sit atop the Western Conference and Central Division, boasting the NHL’s best goal differential (+53). Their only blemishes? Two regulation losses in 27 games. The Rangers, meanwhile, cling to a wild-card spot in the East (7th in Metropolitan Division), buoyed by elite road play but plagued by inconsistency at home.
| Team | Record (W-L-OTL) | Points | GF/GP | GA/GP | Home | Away | Streak |
| Colorado Avalanche | 19-2-6 | 44 | 4.04 | 2.19 | 11-0-2 | 8-2-4 | L1 |
| New York Rangers | 15-12-2 | 32 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 3-8-1 | 12-4-1 | W2 |
Colorado leads the league in goals scored (109) and shots per game (33.9), while ranking first in goals allowed (59). New York excels in road saves (.912 SV%) but ranks 28th in home goals per game (2.33).
Recent Team Forms
The Avalanche’s 17-game point streak (14-0-3) was snapped Thursday in a shocking 6-3 road loss to the New York Islanders—their second regulation defeat all season. Prior to that, they dismantled Vancouver 3-1 on December 2, capping a month where they went 10-0-2. Colorado’s depth shines: 15 players have at least 10 points, and they’ve won 8 of their last 10 overall. The Islanders upset exposed vulnerabilities in netfront battles and rebound control, but expect a bounce-back from this juggernaut.
The Rangers have won 5 of 6, including Thursday’s 4-2 road takedown of Ottawa (Artemi Panarin’s 900th career point) and a 3-2 OT thriller over Dallas on December 2. However, their home form is abysmal: just 3 wins in 12 tries, with a -1.33 goal differential. New York’s resurgence hinges on Shesterkin’s .926 SV% over the last five starts, but they’ve scored just 9 goals in their last four home games.
| Avalanche Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 @ NYI | L | 3-6 | Streak snapped; Necas (G+A) shines but defense leaky. |
| Dec 2 vs VAN | W | 3-1 | Blackwood’s 28 saves; low-event win. |
| Nov 30 vs MTL | W | 4-2 | MacKinnon 2G; power play clicks. |
| Nov 27 vs MIN | OTL | 2-3 | Shootout loss; strong underlying metrics. |
| Nov 24 vs SJS | W | 6-0 | Shutout dominance; 10th straight win entering. |
| Rangers Last 5 Games | Result | Score | Key Notes |
| Dec 4 @ OTT | W | 4-2 | Panarin G+A; Shesterkin 25 saves, 12th road win. |
| Dec 2 vs DAL | W (OT) | 3-2 | Gavrikov GWG; 41 SOG, outshot foe badly. |
| Nov 29 vs TBL | L | 1-4 | Season-low 13 shots; home woes continue. |
| Nov 28 @ BOS | W | 6-2 | Offensive explosion; Zibanejad 2G. |
| Nov 26 @ CAR | W | 4-2 | Road resilience; Miller 2A. |
Injury Report
Both teams enter shorthanded, but Colorado’s absences are more forward-focused, while New York’s defensive core is decimated without Adam Fox.
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Est. Return | Notes |
| COL | Gavin Brindley | C | OUT | Dec 9 | Lower body; 4G, 3A in 18GP. |
| COL | Logan O’Connor | RW | OUT | Dec 13 | Hip setback; hasn’t played yet. |
| COL | Scott Wedgewood | G | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Back; 13-1-3, .920 SV% if cleared. |
| NYR | Adam Fox | D | IR-LT | Dec 27 | Upper body; 23A in 27GP, massive loss. |
| NYR | Matthew Rempe | C | OUT | TBD | Upper body; physical edge missing. |
| NYR | Adam Edstrom | C | Day-to-Day | Dec 6? | Lower body; may miss, 2G in 24GP. |
| NYR | Jonathan Quick | G | Available | Dec 6 | Activated from IR; backup to Shesterkin. |
Colorado’s net likely goes to Mackenzie Blackwood (.918 SV%, 2.19 GAA), while Shesterkin starts his seventh straight for New York.
Key Player Matchups
This tilt features MVP-caliber stars clashing amid depleted defenses. Colorado’s speed and skill should exploit New York’s blue-line gaps without Fox.
Nathan MacKinnon (COL, 22G-24A) vs. Rangers’ Top Pair (Gavrikov-Soucy): MacKinnon’s Hart frontrunner pace (1.70 Pts/GP) meets New York’s shutdown duo (3.9 defensive point shares combined). But without Fox’s puck-moving, the Rangers struggle in transition—MacKinnon has 8 points in his last 5 games.
Mikko Rantanen (COL, 18G-20A) vs. Braden Schneider: Rantanen’s netfront presence (53.3% Corsi) tests Schneider’s positioning. Rantanen has 7 goals in 10 games; Schneider must avoid penalties (NYR PK is 82.1%).
Artemi Panarin (NYR, 9G-21A) vs. Cale Makar/Devon Toews (COL): Panarin’s elite edge work (30 points in 29GP) faces the NHL’s best D-pair (5.3 defensive shares). Makar (9G-24A) could feast on the rush—Panarin has just 2 goals in his last 8.
Igor Shesterkin (NYR) vs. Colorado’s Top Line: Shesterkin’s .926 SV% (9.5 GSA) vs. MacKinnon-Rantanen-Nichushkin (60 combined points). Shesterkin has blanked foes twice lately, but Colorado leads the league in high-danger chances (12.4/GP).
Mackenzie Blackwood (COL) vs. Mika Zibanejad (NYR, 10G-11A): Blackwood’s rebound control (2.19 GAA) counters Zibanejad’s one-timer threat. New York’s top-heavy attack (Panarin-Zibanejad-Miller = 42% of goals) falters without depth.
Watch for Martin Necas (COL, 14G-21A) exploiting secondaries and J.T. Miller (NYR, multi-role grinder) in faceoffs (52.5% win rate).
Series History
These franchises have met 105 times (regular season + playoffs), with the Rangers holding a slight 48-49-7-3 edge overall (49.0% win rate). But Colorado owns the recent narrative: a 3-game win streak, including the 6-3 blowout on Nov. 20 (MacKinnon 2G-2A). The Avalanche are 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-heads, outscoring New York 38-29. Playoff history favors the Rangers (1995 First Round win in 6), but Colorado’s current form (8-2 in last 10 vs. East) tilts the scales.
| Last 5 Meetings | Date | Result | Score | Key Stat |
| Nov 20, 2025 | COL Home | W (COL) | 6-3 | MacKinnon 4 pts; Avs outshot 35-19. |
| Jan 26, 2025 | NYR Home | W (COL) | 4-5 (OT) | Rantanen GWG; high-event thriller. |
| Jan 14, 2025 | COL Home | W (COL) | 3-2 | Blackwood 32 saves; defensive duel. |
| Mar 28, 2024 | NYR Home | L (NYR) | 2-3 (SO) | Panarin decider in skills comp. |
| Feb 5, 2024 | COL Home | W (COL) | 4-1 | Shesterkin roughed up early. |
Colorado wins 60% of games when scoring 4+ (their average).
Betting Trends
Moneyline Trends: Avalanche 18-2 as favorites; Rangers 3-9 as home dogs. 86% of bets on COL ML.
Puck Line: COL -1.5 (+145) hits in 60% of road wins; NYR +1.5 covers 70% at home but loses outright often.
Total Trends: Under 6.5 in 7 of Colorado’s last 10; Over in 6 of Rangers’ last 8 home games. League avg: 6.2 goals/game.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 170
New York Rangers 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 5, 2025
