Denver, Co. – The Avalanche returned to Colorado on Monday after a 5-2 loss against the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Both Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon extended their season-opening point streaks to 12 games and will be consecutively looking for 13 tonight. They are both one game away from tying the Avalanche record for the longest season-opening point streak (13 games), set by MacKinnon in the 2019-20 season. With a point tonight, Makar can tie his career season-long point streak, set during the 2021-22 season.
The biggest storyline for tonight, though, follows Artturi Lehkonen’s season debut after rehabilitating an off-season shoulder surgery. He’s been in a full-contact practice jersey for quite some time and, according to a few different press availabilities from Head Coach Jared Bednar, had been very eager to return.
“It’s a long recovery. I’m just excited to get back out there,” Lehkonen said after practice on Monday. He also mentioned he had been dealing with this issue since the 2023-24 playoffs, and knew surgery was inevitable. “It’s not an ideal situation, I’d rather be playing, but yeah…I feel good.”
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Lehkonen practiced on a line with MacKinnon and Rantanen on Monday and is predicted to hold that same spot during tonight’s contest.
The Return of Nichushkin is Nigh…
Forward Valeri Nichushkin was cleared to practice with the team on Monday. While Bednar and the team staff said they found out a couple of days beforehand, players like Rantanen were pleasantly surprised to see him back on the ice with the team.
“I didn’t even know he was skating with the team today until I saw him on the ice,” he said smiling after practice. “I was excited to see him there…good for him probably to get team practices in to get his feel back after a long break.”
Nichushkin has been back in Colorado for a while skating on his own, but it also seems like he’s been doing a lot of conditioning in Russia during his time off. He looks fresh and ready to return to the fold, and despite the past, his teammates like former linemate Rantanen are more than ready for that day.
“We need him, obviously. I don’t want to go through the past at all and what has happened before, but we need him in the lineup. He’s a big part…