Following their “most complete effort of the year,” the Colorado Avalanche will look to make it back-to-back victories when they travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Sunday.
Nathan MacKinnon collected a goal and three assists in the Avalanche’s 6-3 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
Martin Necas added a goal and two assists, while Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Devon Toews had one of each. Nazem Kadri and Fedor Svechkov also tallied for Colorado, which snapped a two-game skid.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 31 saves for his fourth win of the season.
“That was probably our most complete effort of the year,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “Close as you can get with all the penalties in the second period. I thought we had a great first, 5-on-5 in the second was really good. I mean, you’re killing, like I think we had six straight penalties right, when it all adds up at one point in the game.
“So you’re only using half your bench. The challenge was going to be having those guys stay in it, but then they had a good third period, too.”
Lehkonen, who paces the Avalanche with nine goals, is riding a six-game point streak (six goals, three assists).
“He’s very underrated. He’s always in a good spot,” Necas said of Lehkonen. “He creates so much space out there for me and (MacKinnon) to play a little bit around. Feels like every time he gets the puck, it’s a chance. He’s a great player. He plays great defense. You don’t really find players like him.”
MacKinnon has a team-high 13 assists and 20 points in 11 games.
Blackwood, Sunday’s expected starter, is 4-3-0 with a 2.90 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage. In eight career games against the Predators, Blackwood is 2-4-1 with a 3.60 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
Sunday is the first of four meetings between the Central Division rivals. They each won two games against the other in 2025-26.
Nashville returns home looking to avoid a third straight loss after dropping a 3-2 overtime decision in Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
“We’re going to have to learn to take care of the puck better,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “We lost momentum by not taking care of the puck.”
Steven Stamkos and Jayden Struble each scored for the Predators, who have lost five of their last six games (1-2-3).
Juuse Saros made 34 saves on Saturday but dropped to 3-2-3.
“We played north, and we played fast. I thought in the second period we kind of lost that a little bit,” defenseman Brady Skjei said. “Held on a little bit in the third. If we don’t have (Saros), that’s a different story. He played unbelievable.”
Stamkos has a team-high five goals and 11 points through 10 games.
Justus Annunen, expected to start Sunday, made 25 saves in the Preds’ 6-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday, his season debut.
–Field Level Media
