The Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators met for the second time in three games tonight at Ball Arena, concluding a brief two-game home stand. Colorado aims to bounce back after a 4-3 shootout loss to Nashville on December 10.
This game is the deciding match in the season series between the two teams. Their first encounter was on November 22 at Bridgestone Arena, where Colorado secured a 3-0 shutout victory. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 35 shots, and Brent Burns scored the game-winning goal just 15 seconds in. Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury added empty-net goals late in the game to seal the win.
On Tuesday in Nashville, Cale Makar’s late equalizer forced overtime, but Nashville ultimately triumphed in a shootout, 4-3. Scott Wedgwood made 28 saves and steadied after a rough start, though his collision with former teammate Filip Forsberg during the shootout led to a concussion and his removal from the game. Despite this, the Avalanche secured points and maintained their lead in the Central Division.
Coming off a 6-2 win against the defending Stanley Cup champions Florida Panthers on Thursday, Colorado is riding high. The game celebrated the 1996 Stanley Cup-winning team, and the Avalanche responded with a strong performance. Gavin Brindley, returning from a muscle strain, scored the game-winning goal, while Nathan MacKinnon notched his 25th goal of the season and 392nd overall, surpassing Joe Sakic for the most goals in franchise history.
Nashville, despite being last in the Central Division, has been on a roll lately, winning six of their last eight games, including the shootout against Colorado on Tuesday. Starting a two-game road trip in Denver, the Predators are coming off a convincing 7-2 win against St. Louis on Thursday, highlighted by Steven Stamkos’s 15th career NHL hat trick and contribution to four goals, with Luke Evangelista assisting three times and goalie Juuse Saros making 24 saves. Saros is expected to start again tonight.
The Predators’ lineup will see a slight change compared to Tuesday’s game. Defenseman Spencer Stastny was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 third-round pick after four seasons with Nashville.
Nashville will wrap up their road trip on Monday with another game against St. Louis, marking their second matchup in three games.
Game time is set for 7:00 pm MST / 9:00 pm EST, and the match will be broadcast on ALT, ALT+, KTVD, FDNSSO, ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (outside the US market), SN+, and NHL Center Ice (Canada).
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Fan Take: This matchup between Colorado and Nashville matters deeply to hockey fans as it features high-stakes competition between divisional rivals, delivering excitement and key playoff implications. With historic performances and notable player milestones, games like these keep the sport thrilling and showcase the continuous evolution and passion in hockey.
