Best on Best as the Lightning host the Avalanche

Game Forty-Two: Colorado Avalanche (31-3-7) at Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-3)

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Benchmark International Arena, Where the Lightning had to watch Colorado celebrate

TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, ALT, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning +100

Know the Opponents: Mile High Hockey

Perhaps they were distracted by Florida’s interesting choice of pants. Or maybe it was losing their talisman and first-line winger Gabriel Landeskog to an injury. Whatever it was, it led to the Colorado Avalanche losing just their third game in regulation to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Now, with their ten-game winning streak ruined, they’re in Tampa to take on the Lightning, current owners of the league’s longest winning streak, which sits at seven games.

The Bolts are coming back after one of their more successful West Coast trips, bagging all six points available, which allowed them to sit atop the Eastern Conference briefly before Detroit’s win gave the Red Wings the top spot (albeit with three more games played). While the Lightning have been doing the important work, they haven’t been a soul-crushing power team wrecking team’s spirits on a nightly basis (recent victory over San Jose excluded). Rather, it’s been a bit of a grind.

The wins have not come easy, but they have come. A rather quiet return of their offense (they sit second at 3.44 goals-per-game) and a solid defense (2.66 goals-against-per-game is fourth) have shake off their one-win-in-seven-games start to the season and ascend to the top of the Eastern Conference. Yes, there was a little speed bump in December when they lost seven of nine games, but since then, it’s been nothing but wins. Thirty-four goals in those seven wins is some pretty impressive production.

There have been zero bumps in the road record-wise for the Avalanche. They didn’t feel the sting of a regulation defeat until their ninth game of the season, went another 18 before their second 60-minute loss, and then another 13 before Florida handed them a defeat. Interesting note – all of those losses were to Eastern Conference teams, they’ve yet to be defeated in regulation by a conference opponent.

The Lightning might be catching them at an opportune time, though. Not only is Landeskog going to miss the game, but dependable blueliner Devon Toews is also out of action with an injury. That’s not to say it’s going to be a walk in the park. Colorado still has Nathan MacKinnon (74 points), Martin Necas (53 points), and Cale Makar (47 points). Brock Nelson proved to be a worth free-agent signing as he’s chipped in 18 goals already.

It’s going to be an interesting match-up today. While the game features two teams that have not struggled to score, they are also prone to shutting things down for their opponents. At 5v5 Tampa is allowing just 9.59 high-danger chances while Colorado concedes just 10.71. Scoring chances overall tell a similar story as Tampa Bay is second in the league at 23.65 and the Avalanche are close behind at 25.12 (all figures are per 60 minutes of play).

Usually in an evenly matched contest such as this one, the power play proves to be the difference, but in this case, not so much. Both teams, despite being stacked with gifted offensive players, struggle when given an advantage. Colorado has converted just 16.3% of their chances. The Lightning, with the help of some recent success, are at 19.5%.

The team that can take advantage of the few chances that present themselves tonight will be the one that emerges victorious.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Colorado Avalanche

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