The Colorado Avalanche travel to Ohio tonight and face the first of two straight Central Division opponents on the road, in back to back games.
While Colorado is coming off a disappointing loss on Tuesday against Calgary, where they gave up three goals in the third period, this is a different Avalanche team. Injuries to T.J. Galiardi and David Van der Gulik, a trade for Montreal defenseman Ryan O'Byrne, and the callup of Greg Mauldin from Lake Erie have forced a complete overhaul of the roster. At this point, it's uncertain what any of the Avalanche lines -- or defensive pairings -- will be for tonight's game.
While the Avalanche's rocky start continues, their opponent this evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets, have enjoyed a very successful start. At 9-5 and in contention within hockey's toughest division, Columbus has gained success due to a stingy defense that only allows 2.36 goals per game. Expect a low scoring game, as Columbus star and main offensive weapon Rick Nash is unlikely to dress for tonight's game due to injury.
Faceoff begins at 5 p.m. MT.