Game One Preview: It starts with one win in Winnipeg

It’s time.

The Colorado Avalanche look for win one of 16 tonight in Game One against the Winnipeg Jets. For those in both fanbases, they believe they can win and it is a toss-up between who wins this very close series.

Winnipeg won the season series 3-0, and hence might be feeling the most confident of the two teams. But, it’s a new and clean slate for the Avalanche where it really matters now. Success is best measured in the postseason, and now is the time to prove the doubters wrong.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs lost seven of their last 11 games, falling from nearly winning the Central Division to losing out on home-ice advantage. But, they did win their final game 5-1 against an Edmonton Oilers team sitting several of their stars.

Not sitting the stars did hurt the Avalanche in Game 82, as they lost Jonathan Drouin to injury. It has since been announced he’ll miss the entirety of the first round with a lower-body injury.

Hence, the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen will need to step up even more in his absence. Starting on the road for the first time since 2019, can Colorado steal this first game on the road to get the series started off on the right foot?

Projected Lines

Artturi Lehkonen (62) – Nathan MacKinnon (29) – Mikko Rantanen (96)
Brandon Duhaime (12) – Casey Mittelstadt (37) – Valeri Nichushkin (13)
Miles Wood (28) – Ross Colton (20) – Zach Parise (9)
Andrew Cogliano (11) – Yakov Trenin (73) – Joel Kiviranta (94)

Devon Toews (7) – Cale Makar (8)
Sam Girard (49) – Josh Manson (42)
Jack Johnson (3) – Sean Walker (26)

Note: If Sam Girard is unable to to go, expect Caleb Jones to slot into his lineup spot, and Sean Walker to move up to the second defensive pairing.

Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg ended their season perfectly, as they beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in their regular-season finale. It should also be noted it was the eighth game of an eight-game win streak to end the season.

The Jets have been roaring since the beginning of April, and are undefeated so far in the month. Part of this eight-game win streak also was their dominant game against the Avs last Saturday in a 7-0 smashing.

Can Winnipeg accomplish a similar feat themselves and keep their undefeated streak against Colorado this season going? It’s a new, clean slate, but they’ll be looking to show they’re the true favorites in this series.

Projected Lines

Kyle Connor (81) – Mark Schiefele (55) – Gabriel Vilardi (13)
Nikolaj Ehlers (26) – Sean Monohan (23) – Tyler Toffoli (73)
Nino Niederreiter (62) – Adam Lowry (17) – Mason Appleton (22)
David Gustafsson (19) – Vladislav Namestnikov (7) – Alex Iafallo (9)

Josh Morrissey (44) – Dylan Demelo (2)
Brenden Dillon (5) – Neal Pionk (4)
Logan Stanley (64) – Dylan Samberg (54)

Goaltenders

We should see each team’s respective number ones, Alexandar Georgiev and Connor Hellebuyck.