Game Details
Pukdrop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET.
Venue: Amalie Arena (also referred to as Benchmark International Arena in some sources), Tampa, Florida. This multipurpose arena has a capacity of approximately 19,092 for hockey and is known for its electric atmosphere, having hosted multiple Stanley Cup Finals and serving as the Lightning’s home since 1996.
Recent Team Forms
Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche remain the league’s top team but have shown vulnerability lately, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 amid injuries. Their last five games reflect a mix of resilience and rare stumbles:
Jan 4, 2026: L 1-2 vs. Florida Panthers (tight defensive battle; held to one goal despite 32 shots).
Jan 3, 2026: W 5-3 at Carolina Hurricanes (rallied from 3-1 deficit; Nathan MacKinnon had four points).
Dec 31, 2025: W vs. Philadelphia Flyers (strong finish; outshot opponents 38-25).
Dec 29, 2025: W at Nashville Predators (balanced scoring; held foes to two goals).
Dec 27, 2025: OTW vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (comeback in overtime; Cale Makar game-winner). Overall form: L-W-W-W-OTW, with a +5 goal differential in the last five. Road form is elite (15-2-3), averaging 4.2 GPG while allowing 2.8. Season stats: 4.15 GPG (1st), 2.45 GAA (2nd), +4.2 shot differential per game.
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning are surging, going 9-1-0 in their last 10 with a seven-game win streak snapped only by a recent off night. Their last five games highlight offensive depth and goaltending:
Jan 3, 2026: W 5-2 vs. San Jose Sharks (Darren Raddysh hat trick; Nikita Kucherov four assists).
Jan 1, 2026: W 5-3 at Los Angeles Kings (third-period comeback; Gage Goncalves game-winner).
Dec 31, 2025: W vs. New York Islanders (efficient power play; Andrei Vasilevskiy 28 saves).
Dec 29, 2025: W at Toronto Maple Leafs (held high-scoring Leafs to one goal).
Dec 27, 2025: W vs. Ottawa Senators (five different scorers; strong special teams). Overall form: W-W-W-W-W, with a +10 goal differential in the last five. Home form is solid (13-6-1), averaging 3.8 GPG while allowing 2.9. Season stats: 3.65 GPG (5th), 2.85 GAA (10th), +2.1 shot differential per game.
Series History
The Colorado Avalanche hold a slight all-time edge over the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading 27-24-3-2 in 56 regular-season meetings, with Colorado winning 19 of 32 road games.
In playoff history, the teams met in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, where Colorado won 4-2. Recently, the Avalanche are 6-4 in the last 10 meetings, including a 4-1 road record in the last five. Tampa Bay has won 5 of the last 7 overall, but Colorado took the most recent matchup on November 4, 2025. Games often feature high scoring (over hit in 7 of last 10), averaging 6.8 combined goals, reflecting both teams’ offensive firepower.
Injury Report
Colorado Avalanche:
Gabriel Landeskog (F): Out (upper-body injury; sustained January 4 vs. Florida, expected to miss extended time; no ligament/tendon damage but returning to Denver for evaluation).
denverpost.com +4
Devon Toews (D): Out (upper-body injury; will miss time, replaced by Ilya Solovyov in lineup).
Scott Wedgewood (G): Out (undisclosed; recent injury).
Valeri Nichushkin (F): Out (undisclosed; ongoing).
Samuel Girard (D): Out (undisclosed; recent).
Injuries have hit the Avalanche hard, impacting forward depth and blue-line stability.
Tampa Bay Lightning:
Victor Hedman (D): Out (elbow injury).
Ryan McDonagh (D): Out (undisclosed).
Scott Sabourin (F): Out (undisclosed; on IR since December).
Emil Lilleberg (D): Out (undisclosed).
Defensive injuries are a concern for Tampa, thinning their blue line against Colorado’s potent attack.
Key Player Matchups
This inter-conference clash features star-studded talent, with Colorado’s speed testing Tampa’s experience. Expect high-scoring, up-tempo play.
Nathan MacKinnon (COL, F) vs. Nikita Kucherov (TBL, F): MacKinnon (league-leading points, recent four-point game) drives Colorado’s offense with speed and vision. Kucherov (top-5 scorer, four assists January 3) counters with elite playmaking; whoever controls the neutral zone could dictate the game.
Cale Makar (COL, D) vs. Brayden Point (TBL, F): Makar (defensive standout, overtime heroics) must contain Point’s speed (pair of goals January 1). This blueline-forward battle highlights transition play.
Mikko Rantanen (COL, F) vs. Jake Guentzel (TBL, F): Rantanen (power-play specialist) tests Guentzel’s two-way game; both are secondary scorers who could swing special teams.
Alexandar Georgiev (COL, G) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL, G): Georgiev (.915 SV%) faces a tough road test vs. Vasilevskiy (.920 SV% during streak). Goaltending edges to Vasilevskiy at home.
Betting Trends
Colorado Avalanche: 24-17 ATS overall (12-8 ATS away). They’ve gone 25-16 on over/under (13-7 O/U away). Trends: 8-1-1 SU in last 10, 4-1 SU in last 5 road games, but 2-5 SU in last 7 vs. Tampa; over in 7 of last 10 road games.
As favorites, they’re 28-3 SU but 20-11 ATS.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 21-20 ATS overall (11-10 ATS home). 22-19 on over/under (12-9 O/U home). Trends: 9-1 SU in last 10, 5-0 SU in last 5 home games; over in 6 of last 8 vs. Central Division teams.
As underdogs, they’re 5-8 SU but 7-6 ATS.
Head-to-Head: Avalanche 6-4 ATS in last 10 meetings; over in 7 of last 10 (average 6.8 goals).
NHL trends: Road favorites like Colorado are 60% ATS vs. .600+ teams; inter-conference games hit the over 52% with totals over 6.
Game Odds
Colorado Avalanche – 115
Tampa Bay Lightning 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, January 5, 2026
