The Colorado Avalanche get a quick chance to even the score when they host the New Jersey Devils at Ball Arena, one week after a 4-3 loss at the Prudential Center. It is a direct rematch with both teams carrying some recent context into the second meeting, but the Devils arrive with the sharper recent form.
Colorado is coming off a third straight disappointing road loss to the Nashville Predators, while New Jersey has won four in a row and sits second in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils also made a notable change over the weekend, trading for Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets before handing him his debut in a 5-1 win over the Dallas Stars last night. Hellebuyck stopped 16 shots in that game, giving New Jersey another reason to feel good about its current stretch.
Who starts in goal
Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to start for Colorado after appearing in eight of the team’s first 12 games. That workload reflects how often the Avalanche have already leaned on him early in the season, and it puts another familiar face in the spotlight for a game that already carries revenge stakes. New Jersey’s recent goaltending situation has shifted with the addition of Hellebuyck, who is now in line to be part of the Devils’ present and not just their future outlook.
The Avalanche are also dealing with a lineup that is still missing Zach L’Heureux, so this is not simply a clean reset from the last meeting. Colorado has spent part of this stretch facing opponents that were playing the second half of a back-to-back, but the Devils come in with enough momentum to make that edge less relevant. That leaves the Avalanche with a simple task at home: clean up the details, get stronger in their own end and avoid letting another close game slip away.
Why this rematch matters
The last meeting was tight enough to suggest there is not much separating these teams right now. Colorado lost by one goal last Tuesday night in New Jersey, and the Devils followed that with another win, extending their streak to four games. For the Avalanche, the benefit of being back at Ball Arena is obvious, but the larger point is that they need to turn a recent rough patch into something more stable before the standings begin to tighten even further.
New Jersey, meanwhile, has already shown it can win in different ways, and the Hellebuyck move only adds to the intrigue. Colorado will try to make the rematch about its own response rather than the Devils’ momentum. After the first game went New Jersey’s way, this one gives the Avalanche a straightforward chance to answer back.
