COLORAOD AVALANCHE NOTES:
UPCOMING GAMES
Date Opponent Time (MT) TV Radio
Fri, Dec. 23 at Nashville 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5
- NHL HOLIDAY BREAK, Dec. 24-26 –
Tue, Dec. 27 at Arizona 7 p.m. Altitude 2 92.5
Thu, Dec. 29 LOS ANGELES 7 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Sat, Dec. 31 TORONTO 5 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Mon, Jan. 2 LAS VEGAS 7 p.m. Altitude 2 950 AM
LAST GAME – Dec. 21 (Colorado 2, Montreal 1 in OT)
Mikko Rantanen scored 1:51 into overtime to give the Avalanche a 2-1 victory over the Canadiens at Ball Arena … Artturi Lehkonen notched the tying goal on the power play early in the third period and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves to pick up his third straight win … The Avs finished 4-1-0 on their season-long, five-game homestand SF: 36 SA: 20 PP: 1-2 PK: 1-1
• Colorado finished 4-1-0 on its season-long, five-game homestand and is 5-1-0 in its last six contests
• The Avs improved to 6-2-0 in games decided beyond regulation, 3-1 in overtime and 3-1 shootouts
• Colorado is 14-2-1 at home against the Canadiens since moving to Denver, including six straight wins
• Rantanen’s OT winner was the fourth of his NHL career … It marked his 18th even-strength goal of the season, tying Jason Robertson for the league lead … Rantanen also had an assist for his 117th career multi-point game, passing Paul Stastny (116) and moving into a tie with Dale Hunter (117) for 10th place in franchise history
• With the assist on Lehkonen’s goal, Cale Makar passed Rob Blake (208) for sole possession of sixth place in career points by a Colorado/Quebec defenseman with 209
• Denis Malgin made his Avalanche debut, becoming the 36th different player to appear in a game for Colorado this season, the most of any team in the NHL
TONIGHT’S GAME
COLORADO at NASHVILLE
6:08 p.m. MT / 7:08 p.m. CT
Altitude / 92.5
Altitude: Marc Moser (play-by-play), Mark Rycroft (analyst), Katie Gaus (reporter)
Radio: Conor McGahey
The Avalanche heads to Nashville to take on the Predators in the final game before the NHL’s Holiday Break … The club will have the next three days off before flying to Arizona on Tuesday morning and meeting the Coyotes Tuesday night … There have been no games on Christmas Eve since 1972 (when three were played) and none on Christmas Day since 1971 (when six were played) … There have been none on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) since 2011-12 … Tonight concludes a stretch of 13 games in 25 days as the club has played every other day since Nov. 29 … The Avs just finished 4-1-0 on their season-long five-game homestand and are 5-1-0 in their last six contests.
AVALANCHE & PREDATORS
The Avalanche and Predators meet for the second time in less than a week as Colorado beat Nashville 3-1 last Saturday at Ball Arena … This is the third matchup of the season but first at Bridgestone Arena … This was supposed to be the fourth and final meeting of 2022-23 but the Nov. 25th contest here at Bridgestone Arena was postponed due to a water main break that significantly impacted the event level at the arena … Colorado is 2-0-0 against Nashville so far this year … The Avs were 1-1-2 against Nashville last season but swept the Predators in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
SCHEDULE vs. PREDATORS
Nov. 10 vs. NSH (W, 5-3)
Nov. 25 @ NSH *postponed rescheduled for April 14
Dec. 17 vs. NSH (W, 3-1)
Dec. 23 @ NSH
Apr. 14 @ NSH
RECORD VS. PREDATORS
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS
Overall: 2-0-0 Overall: 1-1-2 Overall: 38-38-14 Series: 2 (1-1)
Home: 2-0-0 Home: 1-0-1 Home: 22-19-6 W-L Record: 6-4
Road: 0-0-0 Road: 0-1-1 Road: 16-19-8
CROWDED DRESSING ROOM
The Avalanche have used 36 different players this season (34 skaters, two goalies), the most of any team in the NHL … The club used 39 players in each of the last two seasons, which tied the Avalanche record (since relocating) also set in 2010-11, 2003-04 and 1998-99 … Colorado’s injury list is now at 178 which puts them unofficially fourth in the league behind Washington (214 going into last night’s game), Columbus (196) and Philadelphia (190 going into last night’s game).
MOST PLAYERS USED, 2022-23
36 ….. Colorado
35 ……Columbus
33 ……Toronto
31 ……Vancouver
YOU’RE A MEAN ONE, MISTER GRINCH
Colorado has out-shot the opposition 153-93 over the last four games (an average of 38-23) and out-attempted its opponents 253-155 (+98) at 5-on-5 during that span … The Avs have allowed two goals or less in six of their last seven games and have yielded only two goals TOTAL in the last three contests … The Avs are 5-1-0 in their last six games with four of the five wins coming by one goal
GRAND CENTRAL
Colorado is 7-2-1 against Central Division teams this season, 4-1-1 at home and 3-1-0 on the road
STAYING OUT OF THE BOX
The Avalanche have taken only one penalty in each of the last two games and have committed two penalties or less (all minors) in each of the last five contests, which is a franchise record … The Vegas Golden Knights have a current streak longer, as they’ve played seven straight games with four minutes in penalties or less … For the year, Colorado ranks eighth in the league in fewest penalties per game (8.2)
WORKING OVERTIME (AND SHOOTOUTS)
The Avalanche are 6-2 in games decided past regulation, 3-1 in overtime and 3-1 in shootouts … Colorado’s .750 winning percentage beyond regulation ranks fifth in the league, while its three shootout wins are tied for second behind only Montreal (4-0) … The Avalanche are 80-45 all-time in shootouts, the highest winning percentage (.640) of any team since the tiebreaker started in 2005-06 (not including Seattle) … The Avs have the best all-time shooting percentage at 38.3% (161/420) and the fifth-best save percentage at .717 (306/427) … Alexandar Georgiev has participated in all four shootouts this year, allowing just three goals on 13 shots (.769) … His three wins are tied with Jake Allen for the league lead while his .769 save percentage ranks second among all netminders who have faced 10+ shots behind Logan Thompson (.917) … Georgiev is 9-4 with a .688 Sv% in career shootouts (48/15) … Pavel Francouz is 3-0 in career shootouts stopping all nine shots he’s faced … Evan Rodrigues is 2-for-2 in shootouts this year, scoring the winning tally in both contests.
THE MOOSE IS LOOSE
As of Thursday, Mikko Rantanen was tied for fourth in the NHL in goals (22) and tied for first in even-strength tallies (18) … He scored his 20th goal of the season on Dec. 15 against the Sabres, reaching the 20-goal mark for the sixth time in his seven NHL seasons … Rantanen, who hit the milestone in Colorado’s 28th game of the season, became the first player in Avalanche history to reach the 20-goal mark in fewer than 30 contests … Joe Sakic (1995-96) and Nathan MacKinnon (2018- 19) both did it in the 30th game of those respective seasons … Rantanen has 27 points (15g/12a) in 16 home games.
NHL GOAL LEADERS NHL LEADERS, EVEN-STRENGTH GOALS GOALS IN DECEMBER
29 Connor McDavid EDM 18 Mikko Rantanen COL 12 Tage Thompson BUF
26 Tage Thompson BUF 18 Jason Robertson DAL 11 Connor McDavid EDM
24 Jason Robertson DAL 16 Sidney Crosby PIT 9 Mikko Rantanen COL
22 Mikko Rantanen COL 15 Cole Caufield MTL 8 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins EDM
22 Bo Horvat VAN 15 Connor McDavid EDM
MOST 20-GOAL SEASONS FEWEST TEAM GAMES TO REACH 30 GOALS
AVALANCHE HISTORY (since 1995-96) AVALANCHE HISTORY (since 1995-96)
11 Milan Hejduk 28 GP Mikko Rantanen 2022-23
11 Joe Sakic 30 GP Joe Sakic 1995-96
9 Gabriel Landeskog 30 GP Nathan MacKinnon 2018-19
7 Nathan MacKinnon
6 Mikko Rantanen
6 Paul Stastny
6 Peter Forsberg
SIMPLY GEORGIE(OUS)
Alexandar Georgiev has won his past three starts, allowing just two goals on 72 shots (0.65 GAA, .972 Sv%) … It’s his third different win streak of at least three games in 2022-23 … Alex recorded a shutout in a 1-0 shootout win over the Islanders on Monday, becoming just the second goalie in Avalanche history to post a 1-0 shootout win (Reto Berra, April 9, 2015 vs. Winnipeg) … Georgiev ranks among the NHL’s top-10 netminders in wins (14), save percentage (.924), goals-against average (2.39) and shutouts (2) …. Going back to last year, he is 22-7-2 in his last 32 regular-season games (31 starts).
ALL HAIL CALE
With an assist on Wednesday, Cale Makar passed Rob Blake (208) for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list among defensemen with 209 points … Makar (55 goals) is one behind Adam Foote (56) for sixth place in that category … Cale recorded his 200th career point on Nov. 21 in Dallas, reaching the milestone faster than any defenseman in NHL history (195th game) … He appeared in his 200th career NHL game on Dec. 3 at Boston, with his 203 career points at the time the most ever by a defender through 200 contests … Cale ranks fifth among NHL blueliners this season with 29 points (7g/22a) in 31 contests … He leads the entire NHL in ice time, averaging 27:06 minutes per game.
FASTEST DEFENSEMEN TO 200 POINTS NHL HISTORY
195 GP Cale Makar COL
207 GP Sergei Zubov NYR, PIT
211 GP Brian Leetch NYR
212 GP Phil Housley BUF
212 GP Denis Potvin NYI
216 GP Mark Howe HFD, PHI
216 GP Bobby Orr BOS
POINTS/GAME AVERAGE, DEFENSEMAN MINIMUM 200 GAMES PLAYED
PT/GP Player PTS GP
1.39 Bobby Orr 915 657
1.09 Paul Coffey 1531 1409
1.00 Cale Makar 209 209
0.99 Denis Potvin 1052 1060
QUICK ON THE DRAW
J.T. Compher leads the NHL with 166 faceoff wins this month (166-139, 54.4%) … Compher won a career-high 25 draws (25- 10, 71%) on Dec. 15 against Buffalo, tied for the third-most faceoff wins in Avalanche history … Colorado won a season-high 48 faceoffs against the Sabres, tied for the eighth most in club history and matching its highest total over the last 20 seasons.
FACEOFF WINS, AVALANCHE HISTORY TEAM FACEOFF WINS, AVALANCHE HISTORY
28 Joe Sakic Jan. 6, 1999 vs. Florida 54 Jan. 6, 1999 vs. Florida
27 Joe Sakic Nov. 3, 2000 vs. Carolina 52 Feb. 22, 2000 vs. Atlanta
25 J.T. Compher Dec. 15, 2022 vs. Buffalo 51 Nov. 1, 1997 vs. Calgary
25 Chris Drury Feb. 22, 2000 vs. Atlanta 51 Feb. 10, 2000 vs. Calgary
25 Peter Forsberg Dec. 19, 1998 at San Jose 50 Oct. 14, 2000 vs. Columbus
50 Oct. 28, 1999 at Philadelphia
50 Jan. 18, 2001 vs. Vancouver
48 Dec. 15, 2022 vs. Buffalo
48 Jan. 6, 2017 vs. NY Islanders
DAYDREAM BELIEVER
The Avalanche will play nine afternoon contests this season … The schedule originally called for 10 daytime contests but the Nov 25th game in Nashville was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena … The Avs are 1-0-0 in day games this season and 14-3-1 (.806) in afternoon contests since 2019-20, the second highest points percentage in day contests during that span behind only Carolina (19-3-2, .833) … The Avs finished 5-1-0 in day games last year, 3-0-0 at home.
THAT’S THE POWER OF LOVE
As of Thursday, Colorado ranked fifth in the NHL in power-play percentage at 27.6% (29-105) … The Avalanche had the NHL’s top-ranked power play for 55 consecutive days from Oct. 15–Dec. 9 … The Avs are 12-5-1 when scoring a PPG this year, 3-6-1 when failing to do so … Colorado tallied a power-play goal in a season-high eight consecutive games from Oct. 29–Nov. 26 … The Avalanche’s power play scored at a 32.8% clip during the 2022 playoffs, the highest rate on record (since 1977-78) by an NHL team that played at least 20 games … During the 2021-22 regular season, Colorado finished seventh in power-play percentage (24.0%) and led all teams in power-play goals (67).
FIN-ISH WHAT YOU STARTED
Mikko Rantanen tallied his fifth career hat trick, including the tying score with 8.1 seconds left in regulation and the game-winning goal in overtime to finish Colorado’s Dec. 11th victory in St. Louis … Rantanen became the second player in Avalanche history to complete a hat trick with an overtime goal, joining Valeri Kamensky on Jan 3, 1998 at Pittsburgh … Overall, he’s the fourth skater in franchise history to accomplish the feat, as two Quebec Nordiques did it during the 1992- 93 season: Owen Nolan on Nov. 26, 1992 at Toronto and Scott Young on Dec. 12, 1992 at San Jose … Rantanen’s five hat tricks are tied for the sixth most in franchise history and the third most since the team relocated behind Joe Sakic (10) and Peter Forsberg (7).
ONE MONTH AT A TIME
Colorado finished 8-3-0 in November, the 23rd consecutive month that the Avs have posted a .500 or better record in… And 21 of those 23 months featured a winning record.
EAST SIDE STORY
The Avalanche are 10-6-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season … Colorado finished 22-8-2 against the East last year, its most wins and tied for its most points (46) ever against the other conference … Since Jared Bednar was hired in 2016-17, the Avs are 100-60-16 against the Eastern Conference, which includes a league-best 53-20-7 (.706) mark since 2019-20.
REVERSE RETRO JERSEY
The Avalanche are 2-0-0 in their adidas Reverse Retro 2022 ADIZERO jerseys … Colorado will wear the RR jersey four times this season: Nov. 26 vs. Dallas (W, 4-1), Dec. 11 at St. Louis (W, 3-2 OT), Dec. 29 vs. Los Angeles and Jan. 2 vs. Vegas … The 2022 Colorado Avalanche Reverse Retro uniform pays tribute to its home state by incorporating colors of the Colorado flag while reintroducing the original jersey design donned in the 1995 inaugural season.
FINNISH FIREWORKS
Led by Nathan MacKinnon’s seven combined points (0g/7a) and Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick in the opener, the Avalanche swept the two-game NHL Global Series from the Blue Jackets in early November, out-scoring Columbus 11-4 … Colorado’s six goals in the 6-3 opening win set an NHL record for a single game outside of North America while the 11 combined goals were also the most over a two-game overseas series … Rantanen’s hat trick was just the third outside of North America in history, while MacKinnon’s four helpers that first night set a record for the most assists in a single game outside of North America … Alexandar Georgiev started and won both games, allowing four goals 71 shots (2.02 GAA, .944 Sv%) … His two victories already equal the record for career wins in games played overseas … MacKinnon’s seven assists and eight career points (he had one goal in the 2017 Global Series in Sweden) are both records for games played outside North America.
POSTPONEMENT
The Avalanche and Predators game at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 25 was postponed due to a water main break that significantly impacted the event level at the arena … The contest has been rescheduled for April 14 as Colorado’s final game of the regular season – it’s the second half of a back-to-back, the Avs play Winnipeg at home on April 13.
MILE HIGH MAINSTAY
Erik Johnson is in his 15th NHL season and 13th with the Avalanche … His 13 seasons rank fourth in franchise history behind only Joe Sakic (20), Adam Foote (17) and Milan Hejduk (14), with Foote the only other defenseman on that list … Johnson is the longest current tenured athlete of any of Denver’s four major sports teams, followed by Gabriel Landeskog and Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (both 12 seasons).
SHORT AND SWEET
As of Thursday, Colorado was tied for third in the NHL with four shorthanded goals
BACK-TO-BACK
The Avalanche will play 13 back-to-backs this season … They have competed in four back-to-backs so far, going 2-2-0 in the first game and 2-2-0 in the second … The Avalanche posted a 15-5-2 (.727) combined record in back-to-back games last season, the second-best mark behind Minnesota (.732, 19-6-3) … The Avs finished 7-3-1 in the first game and 8-2-1 in the second (.773), with only Tampa (10-0-2, .917) posting a better record in the second half of a back-to-back.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH; AVS WIN STANLEY CUP
The Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup championship in 2022 following 1996 and 2001 … Colorado claimed its title by going 16-4 in the postseason, which included a pair of sweeps and defeating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning in six games during the Final … The Avs became the sixth team to win a Cup with four or fewer postseason losses since 1987 when the NHL went to four rounds of best-of-seven … And of those six only one team had fewer losses, the 1988 Oilers (two) … The Avalanche did not lose consecutive games all playoffs.
ALL I DO IS WIN WIN WIN NO MATTER WHAT
The 2021-22 Avalanche equaled the NHL record for the most combined regular season/playoff wins with 72 (56 regular season, 16 playoff), a feat only three teams in NHL history had achieved before … The 2021-22 Avalanche joined the 1995- 96 Red Wings, 1983-84 Oilers and 1976-77 Canadiens on that list.
RECORD REGULAR SEASON
The 2021-22 Avalanche set a franchise record with 56 wins and 119 points en route to winning their second straight division title and 11th since moving to Denver (13th in franchise history) … The Avs clinched the conference’s top spot despite facing a 10-point deficit behind the No. 1 seed on Dec. 3 … The last team to win their conference after overcoming a deficit of 10 or more points was the Rangers in 2014-15 (13) … The Avalanche sat in first place in the Western Conference over the final 106 days of the season and from Feb 10–April 19 were first in the entire NHL for all but one day (68 out of 69).
WINS, FRANCHISE HISTORY POINTS, FRANCHISE HISTORY
56 2021-22 119 2021-22
52 2000-01 118 2000-01
52 2013-14 112 2013-14
TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
The 2021-22 Avalanche posted their best home season in franchise history with a 32-5-4 record (68 points) … Colorado tied Florida for the league lead in home points, ending with the most home points in the NHL for the second straight season after tying Pittsburgh with 46 in 2020-21 … The Avs posted an 18-game home winning streak from Nov. 11–Jan. 30, the fifth longest run in NHL history, and had a franchise record 22-game home point streak (20-0-2) from Oct. 30–Feb. 10.
AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH, AINT NO VALLEY LOW
Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship came five years after a last-place finish in 2016-17 …. The Avs became the fifth team in the expansion era (1967-68) to win a title within five years of a last place finish and the first since the 2009 Penguins … Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy the previous year in 2020-21, becoming the first NHL team to go from worst to first overall in four seasons or less since the Bruins in 1970-71.
DOWN BUT NEVER OUT
Ten of the Avalanche’s wins during the 2022 postseason were earned in come-from-behind fashion, including four third-period comebacks … Colorado’s 10 comeback wins tied the 2009 Penguins for the most in NHL history … The Avs trailed in all four of their series-clinching victories, the first team in NHL history to do so.
ROAD, SWEET ROAD
The Avalanche finished a league-best 9-1 on the road during the 2022 postseason, tied for the fewest road losses by a Stanley Cup champion since 1987 (the 2012 Kings and 1995 Devils were both 10-1) … Colorado earned all four series-clinching wins on the road.
MAGIC YEAR FOR MAKAR
After becoming the first player in franchise history to win the Norris Trophy in 2021-22, Makar followed that up by winning the 2022 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP … At 23 years, 239 days, he became the youngest defenseman in 52 years to win the Conn Smythe and just the third overall to do so at age 23 or younger, joining Bobby Orr with the 1970 Bruins (22 years, 51 days) and Serge Savard with the 1969 Canadiens (23 years, 102 days) … Makar won the Conn Smythe just five days after receiving his first Norris Trophy … He became the third player to win both awards in the same season, following Orr in 1970 and Nicklas Lidstrom in 2002 … Makar led the Avalanche and all NHL defensemen with 29 points (8g/21a) in 20 games, the fourth-highest total by a defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoff history behind Paul Coffey (37) with the 1985 Oilers, Brian Leetch (34) with the 1994 Rangers and Al MacInnis (31) with the 1989 Flames.
SONG SUNG BLUE(LINE)
Colorado’s defensemen produced 64 goals last season, a franchise record and the most by any team since the 1992-93 Capitals (94) … The Avalanche’s blueline also lead all teams in points with a franchise-record 238, the most since the 1995- 96 Red Wings had 240 … Colorado’s defensemen finished with 69 points (18g/51a) during the playoffs, the most by any blueline in a four-round postseason since the 1984-85 Oilers (77).
IN BEDNAR WE TRUST
Jared Bednar is in his seventh season as the Avalanche’s head coach … Hired on Aug. 25, 2016, he is the third-longest tenured coach in the NHL behind Jon Cooper (March 25, 2013) and Mike Sullivan (Dec. 12, 2015) … Jared led the 2021-22 Avalanche to their most successful regular season in franchise history (56-19-7, 119 points) and continued that into the postseason with a 16-4 playoff mark en route to capturing the 2022 Stanley Cup … Bednar, who won a Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016 and a Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009, became the first individual to win a championship in the NHL, AHL and ECHL as a head coach … He is the winningest coach in Avalanche history with a 258-179-48 (.581) regular season record … Bednar owns a 40-22-1 (.635) record in 63 postseason games, the best playoff winning percentage among active coaches and the third highest all time (min 50 GP) behind Glen Sather (.706) and Toe Blake (.689).
SUPER JOE ACHIEVES RARE FIRST
General Manager (now President) Joe Sakic, who captained the Avalanche to a pair of titles in 1996 and 2001, became the first individual in league history to win a Stanley Cup as a captain and GM with the same organization … He was just the third to win a championship as a player and general manager with the same franchise, joining Serge Savard of the Canadiens and Milt Schmidt of the Bruins.
TIP OF CAP
Gabriel Landeskog is in his 12th NHL season and 11th as team captain … He was the youngest captain in NHL history when he assumed the role at 19 years, 286 days on Sept. 4, 2012, a title he held for four years before Connor McDavid was given the ‘C’ by Edmonton at 19 years, 266 days on Oct. 5, 2016 … Landeskog is the second-longest serving captain in franchise history behind Joe Sakic (17 seasons, 16 consecutive) … Only three players have been captain of their current teams longer:
Sidney Crosby (PIT) ………………… 16th season (since 2007-08)
Jonathan Toews (CHI) …………….. 15th season (since 2008-09)
Alex Ovechkin (WSH) ……………… 14th season (since 2009-10)
Gabriel Landeskog (COL) …………11th season (since 2012-13)
2022-23 AVALANCHE TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 17 – Brad Hunt recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) … Jean-Luc Foudy, Charles Hudon reassigned to Colorado (AHL)
Dec. 18 – Danila Zhuravlyov placed on unconditional waivers
Dec. 19 – Martin Kaut recalled from the Colorado Eagles (AHL) … Denis Malgin acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dryden Hunt … Kurtis MacDermid activated from Injured Reserve … Zhuravylov cleared waivers and contract terminated
NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:
ALL-TIME vs. COLORADO
OVERALL (90 GP) 47-35-(5)-3
HOME (43 GP) 24-15-(3)-1
ROAD (47 GP) 23-20-(2)-2
PLAYOFFS (1-1) Last: 2022 WCQ (L, 4-0)
− The Predators are 47-35-(5)-3 all-time against the Avalanche, including a 24-15-(3)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena.
− This is the third of four matchups between Nashville and Colorado in 2022-23; it is the first of two at home. Nashville vs. Colorado, originally scheduled for Nov. 25, will now be played on April 14 at 7 p.m. CT.
− Nashville is 0-2-0 against Colorado this season, dropping both contests at Ball Arena.
− The Predators are 3-2-0 in their last five games against the Avalanche; they are 4-6-0 in their last 10; and 2-3-0 in their last five at home.
− Nashville has won 15 of its last 22 regular-season games against Colorado, including an 11-game win streak from April 5, 2016-Nov. 7, 2018. During the win streak, Nashville posted 4.2 goals per game and held Colorado to two-or-fewer goals seven times.
− Nashville and Colorado have met twice in the postseason, with the Predators earning a 4-2 series victory in the 2018 first round; Nashville was swept for the first time in franchise history in the 2022 first round.
NOTABLES vs. COLORADO
− Matt Duchene was drafted third overall by the Avalanche in the 2009 NHL Draft. He recorded 428 points (178g-250a) in nine seasons with Colorado from 2009-17. Duchene has 10 goals and 11 points in 11 career games against his former team.
− Roman Josi recorded a 12-game point streak vs. Colorado (5g-11a) from March 28, 2016-Jan. 21, 2019. He’s recorded a point in 28 of his 40 career games against the Avalanche, tallying 14 goals and 38 points.
− Colton Sissons posted a career-high three assists on Dec. 16, 2021 vs. the Avs. He has 14 points (8g-6a) in 21 career regular-season games vs. Colorado.
− Filip Forsberg notched his fourth career hat trick on Feb. 23, 2017 vs. the Avalanche. He’s averaged more than a point per game in his career against Colorado, recording 33 points (16g-17a) in 31 games, including five game-winning goals.
− Mikael Granlund skated in his first career NHL game and scored his first career NHL goal on Jan. 19, 2013 vs. Colorado.
− Predators Assistant Coach Dan Hinote won the 2001 Stanley Cup as a player for the Avalanche.
− Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard was selected by the Predators in the second round (47th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He skated in five games for Nashville in 2017-18, tallying three points (1g-2a).
LAST TIME OUT
− Nashville Predators 4, Chicago Blackhawks 2 – Dec. 21 (United Center)
− NSH goals: Niederreiter (11), Duchene (9), Josi – GWG (7), Novak – PP (1)
− CHI goals: Murphy (3), Entwistle (2)
− Goaltenders: NSH – Saros (W, 37/39); CHI – Mrazek (L, 33/37)
− Power plays: NSH 1-2; CHI 0-4
− Notes: Nashville improved to 6-8-2 on the road in 2022-23… The Predators extended their point streak against the Blackhawks to 15 games (12-0-3), the longest active point streak by any NHL team against a single opponent… It is one game behind Nashville’s longest against a single opponent in franchise history (16 – vs. Columbus from 2006-08)… Roman Josi tallied his 566th and 567th career points to pass David Legwand for the most in franchise history… Josi’s goal was the 27th game-winner of his career, passing Martin Erat for sole possession of third in Predators history… Tommy Novak scored his first goal of the season… Matt Duchene scored to give him goals in three straight games (3g)… Juuso Parssinen recorded two assists for his second multi-point game of the season… Cody Glass tallied an assist to give him three points (3a) in his last two games… Ryan McDonagh returned the lineup after missing seven games with an upper-body injury.
INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-Dec. 21 24
Michael McCarron NHL/NHLPA PAP Dec. 12-21 6
NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 23, 2022 vs. Colorado Avalanche
Total man-games lost: 56
Borowiecki – 25; McCarron – 7; McDonagh – 7; Trenin – 5; Carrier – 4; Glass – 3; Lauzon – 3; Jankowski – 2
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
− Dec. 21: Activated defenseman Ryan McDonagh from IR.
− Dec. 20: Reassigned defenseman Jordan Gross to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Dec. 19: Recalled forward Tommy Novak from Milwaukee (AHL).
− Dec. 18: Reassigned defensemen Kevin Gravel and Roland McKeown to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Dec. 12: Recalled defensemen Kevin Gravel and Roland McKeown from Milwaukee (AHL). Forward Eeli Tolvanen claimed
on waivers by Seattle.
− Dec. 5: Recalled defenseman Jordan Gross from Milwaukee (AHL). Placed defenseman Ryan McDonagh on IR (upper body).
− Nov. 23: Assigned forward Zach Sanford to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Nov. 14: Signed forward Nolan Burke to a three-year, entry-level contract.
RESCHEDULED GAMES
− The NHL announced new dates and start times for the two Predators home games that were postponed due to flooding at Bridgestone Arena.
− Nashville vs. Colorado, originally scheduled for Nov. 25, will now be played on April 14 at 7 p.m. CT.
− Nashville vs. Columbus, originally scheduled for Nov. 26, will now be played on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. CT.
HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES
− John Hynes won his 100th game as Predators head coach on Nov. 17 vs. the Islanders.
− Hynes won his 100th game in his 183rd contest in charge of the Predators. Peter Laviolette hit the 100-win mark as Nashville’s head coach in his 189th game (Dec. 6, 2016); Barry Trotz reached it in his 274th game (Dec. 6, 2001).
− He’s up to 256 career NHL wins, placing him tied for 63rd (Jim Schoenfeld) on the NHL’s all-time list.
RECORD-BREAKING JOSI
− Roman Josi recorded his 566th and 567th career points on Wednesday at Chicago to pass David Legwand (566) for the most in Predators history. Josi became the second defenseman to lead an active NHL franchise in points, joining Boston’s Ray Bourque. His 567 career points are the 27th-most by a defenseman through his first 791 career games in NHL history.
− He has 24 points (7g-17a) in his last 23 games after tallying a goal and an assist against the Blackhawks. His goal on Wednesday was the 27th game-winner of his career, moving him past Martin Erat for sole possession of third place on Nashville’s all-time list.
Goals
Rk. Player G
1 Filip Forsberg 229
2 David Legwand 210
3 Shea Weber 166
4 Martin Erat 163
5 Craig Smith 162
6 Roman Josi 147
7 Viktor Arvidsson 127
8 Mike Fisher 111
9 Jason Arnott 107
10 Three tied 106
Assists
Rk. Player A
1 Roman Josi 420
2 David Legwand 356
3 Martin Erat 318
4 Shea Weber 277
5 Filip Forsberg 265
6 Ryan Johansen 245
7 Kimmo Timonen 222
8 Mattias Ekholm 201
9 Ryan Suter 200
10 Ryan Ellis 195
Points
Rk. Player P
1 Roman Josi 567
2 David Legwand 566
3 Filip Forsberg 494
4 Martin Erat 481
5 Shea Weber 443
6 Ryan Johansen 351
7 Craig Smith 330
8 Kimmo Timonen 301
9 Ryan Ellis 270
10 J-P Dumont 267
NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 23, 2022 vs. Colorado Avalanche
− Since Oct. 27, Josi is tied for third among NHL defensemen in goals (7); tied for fifth in points (24); and tied for eighth in assists (17).
− He scored his seventh career overtime goal on Nov. 29 vs. Anaheim, tying him with Shea Weber for the third-most in franchise history.
− Tallying four assists on Nov. 17 vs. the NY Islanders, Josi notched the seventh four-point game of his NHL career, the most among active NHL defensemen. He led all NHL blueliners with four four-point games in 2021-22. In that same game, he became the ninth different defenseman in NHL history to record three assists in the first 10 minutes of a contest; he also became the fourth active blueliner to record three points in the opening 10 minutes of a game.
− He recorded at least five shots on goal in five straight games from Nov. 17-29. It was tied for the fifth-longest such streak by an NHL defenseman since 2000-01.
− The 2020 Norris Trophy winner has scored 95 goals since the 2016-17 campaign, the most among NHL blueliners in that time span.
Where Josi ranks among NHL defensemen
Category Total Rank
Shots on Goal 139 1st
Average TOI 25:26 5th
Goals 7 Tied for 6th
Points 25 Tied for 11th
Assists 18 Tied for 14th
JUICE IS LOOSE
− Goaltender Juuse Saros is 8-3-3 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in his last 13 games dating back to Nov. 12.
− He’s made at least 30 saves in eight of his last 14 games; he’s faced at least 30 shots in 10 of those outings.
− Additionally, Saros owns a 9.65 goals saved above average (GSAA) since Nov. 12, the third-best mark in the League (per Natural Stat Trick). GSAA measures the goals a goalie prevented given his save percentage and shots faced vs. the NHL average save percentage on the same number of shots.
− Per Natural Stat Trick, Saros has made 179 high-danger saves this season, tied for the fifth-most among League netminders.
NUMBER NINE
− Filip Forsberg (483) passed Martin Erat (481) and moved into sole possession of third place on the Predators’ all-time points list on Nov. 8 at Seattle. He is six points from becoming the third player in team history to reach the 500-point milestone.
− Forsberg is tied for the Nashville in points with 25 (9g-16a).
− Forsberg has 22 points (7g-15a) in his last 24 games dating back to Oct. 22 vs. Philadelphia. He’s recorded two three-point games in that time frame – Oct. 27 vs. St. Louis (3a) and Nov. 1 at Edmonton (1g-2a).
− Nov. 1 at Edmonton was Forsberg’s 32nd career three-point game, the most in Predators history.
QUICK HITS
− The Predators have allowed 2.65 goals-against per game since Nov. 12, the ninth-best mark in the League.
− The Predators are tied for seventh in the NHL in face-off percentage (52.9 percent).
− Among NHL players who have taken at least 300 faceoffs, Ryan Johansen is fourth at 61.2 percent.
− Johansen won at least 50 percent of his faceoffs in a franchise-record 23 consecutive games, a streak that came to an end on Nov. 23 at Detroit. The previous record was held by current Predators Assistant GM Scott Nichol, who did so in 17 straight games during the 2006-07 season.
− Colton Sissons is second in the NHL in shorthanded faceoffs won (62).
− Forward Juuso Parssinen, 21, who made his NHL debut on Nov. 12 vs. the Rangers, has seven points (3g-4a) in his first 17 career NHL games. He tallied two assists on Wednesday at Chicago. He became the first Predators player to make his NHL debut this season. He is the only rookie in Predators history to score three goals in his first four career NHL games. He is one of three rookies in team history to record five points in his first four career NHL games, joining Denis Arkhipov (2g3a in 2000-01) and Marek Zidlicky (2g-3a in 2003-04).
NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 23, 2022 vs. Colorado Avalanche
On Nov. 17 vs. the NY Islanders (2g-1a), Parssinen also became the 15th rookie in franchise history to record a three-point game and is one of three to do so within his first three career NHL games, joining Smith, who did so in his second on Oct. 8, 2011 at St. Louis (1g-2a), and Tommy Novak, who did so in his third on Oct. 23, 2021 at Winnipeg (3a).
Scoring his first career NHL goal on his first shot, Parssinen joined an exclusive group of Predators players. He became the fifth Nashville skater to score in his NHL debut, joining Miikka Salomaki (2014-15), Kevin Henderson (2012-13), Smith (2011-12) and Mikko Lehtonen (2006-07).
The No. 210 overall pick (seventh round) in the 2019 NHL Draft became the sixth player in the last decade to score in his first career NHL game after being selected in the seventh round.
− Nashville’s 4-3 OT win on Dec. 1 at New Jersey came in dramatic fashion.
Mikael Granlund tied the game at 3-3 with 10 seconds remining in the third period, the third-latest game-tying goal in franchise history. It was also the third time in Predators history the team has tied a game with 10 seconds or less remaining in the third period and went on to win in overtime or a shootout; the last time was Feb. 27, 2020 vs. Calgary when Granlund tied the game with one second remaining and went on to score the OT winner.
Additionally, Ryan Johansen opened the game’s scoring just 11 seconds into the first period. It tied the Predators record for fastest goal to begin a game (David Legwand – April 5, 2007 vs. St. Louis) and was the fastest goal to begin a road game in franchise history. Nashville became the fifth team in the past 24 years to score goals in the first 15 seconds and final 15 seconds of the game and first since Boston on Feb. 3, 2021.
− Mark Jankowski was selected by Calgary in the first round (21st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. That pick was initially held by Nashville but was traded to Buffalo on Feb. 27, 2012 for Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, with which the Predators used to select Juuse Saros. To close the pick history, Buffalo traded the 21st overall choice in the 2012 NHL Draft to Calgary with a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft (Patrick Sieloff) for the 14th overall pick (Zemgus Girgensons).
- The Predators will have three prospects competing in the 2023 World Junior Championship, which runs from Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Ryan Ufko (fourth round, 115th overall in 2021) will skate for the United States (Smithtown, N.Y.).
Jack Matier (fourth round, 124th overall in 2021) will skate for Canada (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.).
Joakim Kemell (first round, 17th overall in 2022) will skate for Finland (Jyväskylä).
