The Colorado Avalanche hit the road on Monday following their first practice since their loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Their road trip takes them to a couple of stops along the northeastern seaboard, to North Carolina, and a quick cross-country flight to Vancouver before they return home to Denver.
Their first stop is in New York, where they’ll play the Buffalo Sabres in their first meeting of the season. The Sabres sit just two spots below the Avalanche in the league standings at 20th. Two points are all that separates these two teams in the standings, so tonight’s game could be just the game the Avalanche need to put themselves in an early playoff spot.
Casey Mittelstadt’s Return to Buffalo
Colorado Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt returns to Buffalo tonight – his first time hitting the ice at KeyBank Center as a member of the visiting team. The Avalanche played their series against the Avalanche before 2024, and seeing as the trade deadline wasn’t until March 8th that season, Mittelstadt didn’t see any action against his former team.
Mittelstadt was part of a trade that broke the day before last season’s trade deadline, a transaction that sent defenseman Bowen Byram to the Queen City. He was drafted 8th overall by Buffalo and spent close to 7 years with the Sabres before he was dealt to Colorado.
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
After his contract expired at the end of last season, Mittelstadt signed a three-year contract to stay with the Avalanche through 2027, earning $5.75M a year.
He had a noteworthy start to the season with 13 points in the first 10 games, six of which were goals. However, that momentum has dropped a bit. His last points come from Colorado’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he had a goal and an assist.
He mentioned after Monday’s practice that he knows this isn’t his best hockey, but he’s been trying to make better plays and improve his game.
“It’s a long season. I think you get caught in stretches like this, it feels like it lasts the whole year, but you look back at it at the end of the year and it’s usually about 8 or 10 games … I definitely expect a lot more out of myself than what it’s been the last little bit here. I’ve been through stretches like this before, though, and gotten through them. Just gotta keep working hard and keep getting better, that’s how you get…