The Colorado Avalanche (21-2-7) host the Florida Panthers (15-12-2) in a marquee inter-conference clash at Ball Arena, pitting the NHL’s hottest offense against a Panthers squad surging with three straight wins. Colorado, clinging to first in the Central Division despite a recent shootout loss in Nashville, unleashes Nathan MacKinnon’s MVP-caliber play (24G-28A) and a defense allowing just 2.20 GPG (1st), but faces Florida’s opportunistic attack led by Sam Bennett’s four-point outburst in OT against Columbus. The Panthers, sixth in the Atlantic, boast Sergei Bobrovsky’s .880 SV% but are hampered by injuries to stars like Barkov and Tkachuk, tilting the scales toward a high-altitude shootout. This 1996 Cup Final rematch projects as Colorado’s 5-3 victory, exploiting Florida’s depleted depth in a goal-fest.
Venue Location
Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado (capacity: 18,000). The Avalanche are 11-0-2 at home this season, undefeated in regulation and outscoring opponents by 2.1 GPG, with a perfect 7-0 in their last seven against Eastern Conference foes in Denver.
Puckdrop: 9:30 p.m. ET.
Broadcast on ESPN, with streaming on ESPN+ and Fubo; radio on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Colorado) and SiriusXM 219 (national).
Injury Report
Injuries are decimating Florida’s core, with five forwards and a top defender out, forcing line shuffles and reliance on depth like Anton Lundell. Colorado’s absences are fewer but impactful on the wing, with backups stepping up in net. Latest from Thursday’s practices:
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury | Notes |
| Panthers | Aleksander Barkov | C | Out (IR) | Knee | Sidelined since October; 0 GP, captain’s absence hurts leadership (pre-injury: 0G-0A). |
| Panthers | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | Out (IR) | Groin | Resumed skating but out; 27 GP missed, 0G-0A (pre-injury impact massive). |
| Panthers | Tomas Nosek | LW | Out | Knee | Full IR; 27 GP missed, 0G-0A. Bottom-six void. |
| Panthers | Dmitry Kulikov | D | Out (IR) | Upper Body | Surgery in October; 25 GP missed, 0G-0A. Veteran D loss. |
| Panthers | Jonah Gadjovich | LW | Out (IR) | Upper Body | IR since Nov. 18; 17 GP missed, limited stats. |
| Panthers | Cole Schwindt | RW | Out (IR) | Arm | Placed IR Dec. 2; 8 GP missed, minimal impact. |
| Panthers | Sergei Bobrovsky | G | Available | None | Starts; 13-1-4, .880 SV% but strong in wins. |
| Panthers | Sam Reinhart | RW | Available | None | Ready; 15G-13A, team’s scoring leader. |
| Avalanche | Logan O’Connor | RW | Out (IR) | Hip | Soft tissue setback unrelated to offseason surgery; 0 GP, major depth hit. |
| Avalanche | Gavin Brindley | RW | Day-to-Day | Lower Body | IR since Dec. 5; limited practice, questionable for minutes. |
| Avalanche | Scott Wedgewood | G | Day-to-Day | Concussion | Left shootout vs. NSH; backup role, Georgiev starts. |
| Avalanche | Nathan MacKinnon | C | Available | None | Full go; 24G-28A, NHL-leading points. |
| Avalanche | Alexandar Georgiev | G | Available | None | Starts; 8-1-3, 2.20 GAA. |
Florida’s forward injuries (140 man-games lost) cripple scoring; Colorado’s D holds firm despite O’Connor’s absence.
Player Matchups
This star-studded affair hinges on these battles, where Colorado’s speed meets Florida’s physicality:
Avalanche C Nathan MacKinnon vs. Panthers C Sam Bennett
MacKinnon (24G-28A, 52 points) torques Colorado’s rush, facing Bennett’s grit (9G-11A, two-goal game vs. Utah). MacKinnon has 8 points in last four vs. FLA; Bennett’s hits (1.5/game) disrupt entries—if MacKinnon exceeds 3 shots, Avs pull away.
Panthers RW Sam Reinhart vs. Avalanche D Cale Makar
Reinhart (15G-13A, 28 points) snipes on PP, drawing Makar’s dynamism (5G-18A). Reinhart has 4 goals in last five; Makar’s blocks (1.4/game) hold wings under 2 SOG—key to limiting Florida’s transitions.
Avalanche LW Artturi Lehkonen vs. Panthers D Gustav Forsling
Lehkonen (recent GWG vs. PHI) exploits forechecks, matched against Forsling’s positioning (2G-10A). Lehkonen scores in 40% home games; Forsling’s gap (top-10 in TOI) clamps rushers.
Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky vs. Avalanche Top Line (MacKinnon-Rantanen-Middlestadt)
Bobrovsky (.880 SV%, 3.17 GAA) faces COL’s unit (1.9 goals/game), facing 32 SOG avg. He’s 13-1-4 in wins; line’s chemistry tests rebounds.
Avalanche G Alexandar Georgiev vs. Panthers RW Carter Verhaeghe
Georgiev (2.20 GAA) battles Verhaeghe’s finish (6G in last six); Verhaeghe has 3 goals vs. COL recently. Georgiev’s .918 SV% vs. top-10 attacks holds firm.
Colorado’s home altitude boosts their edges.
Team Records
Florida Panthers: 15-12-2 (6th in Atlantic Division)
4-6-0 on road, averaging 3.11 GPG (12th) while allowing 3.18 (21st). PP 19.0% (15th), PK 80.4% (16th); -2 goal differential, 12-17 ATS.
Colorado Avalanche: 21-2-7 (1st in Central Division)
11-0-2 at home, averaging 3.93 GPG (1st) while allowing 2.20 (1st). PP 16.3% (24th), PK 86.0% (3rd); +49 goal differential, 21-9 ATS.
Avalanche hold series tiebreaker (2-0 last season).
Recent Team Forms
Florida has won three straight, outscoring foes 15-10 with offensive bursts, but road defense lags (3.5 GA/G). Colorado is 3-1-1 in last five, outscored 15-13, with home dominance (11-0-2).
| Panthers Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| vs. UTA | Dec 10 | Home | W 4-3 | Bobrovsky 28/31 saves; Bennett 2G, 1/3 PP. |
| vs. NYI | Dec 7 | Home | W 4-1 | Bobrovsky 27/28; Verhaeghe 6th straight goal. |
| vs. CBJ | Dec 6 | Home | W 7-6 OT | Bobrovsky 25/31; Bennett 4 pts in rally. |
| vs. NSH | Dec 4 | Home | L 1-2 OT | Bobrovsky 29/31; 0/6 PP, low-event loss. |
| vs. TOR | Dec 2 | Home | L 1-4 | Bobrovsky 31/35; Outshot 26-31. |
Form Notes: 3-0-2, outscored 17-16. Home streak 3-0 (+2.7 margin); PP 25% last five.
| Avalanche Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| @ NSH | Dec 9 | Away | L 3-4 SO | Georgiev 31/34; Makar late goal, 1/4 PP. |
| @ PHI | Dec 7 | Away | W 3-2 | Georgiev 25/27; Nichushkin GWG. |
| @ NYR | Dec 6 | Away | W 3-2 OT | Georgiev 27/29; MacKinnon OT winner. |
| @ NYI | Dec 4 | Away | L 3-6 | Georgiev 42/48; 0/3 PP, defensive lapse. |
| vs. VAN | Dec 2 | Home | W 3-1 | Georgiev 21/22; Strong PK (1/1). |
Form Notes: 3-1-1, outscored 15-13. Road 2-1 (+0.7 margin); Georgiev 3-1-1, .920 SV% last five.
Series History
All-time, Colorado leads 33-19-3 (regular season: 29-19-8), including a 4-0 sweep in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. Recent: Avalanche 2-0 last season (3-1, 4-7 wins). In Denver, Avs are 13-11-3 all-time vs. Panthers, winning the last two home games (3-1 on Jan. 6, 2025; 5-4 on Oct. 18, 2019). Overs in 7 of 10 (avg 6.2 goals), with Colorado’s PP producing 5 goals in last six. First of two this season; rematch Jan. 4 in Florida.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: 72% bets/78% handle on Avalanche (backing 21-2-7 mark). Avs 21-8 SU as favorites; Panthers 5-8 SU road dogs.
Puck Line: 60% bets on Panthers +1.5 (value), 65% handle on Avalanche -1.5 amid COL’s 11-0-2 home SU. Panthers 7-5 ATS road.
Total: 64% bets on Over 6.5 (82% handle), as 7 of 10 series over and combined 6.29 GPG. Under in 4 of Avs’ last 5.
Key Trends: Avs 14-3 SU last 17; Panthers 9-1 SU vs. Central. Sharps on Over with altitude.
Game Odds
Florida Panthers 6.5
Colorado Avalanche – 238
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
