Oof. The Colorado Avalanche are without star Nathan MacKinnon for the foreseeable future and it all starts tonight against the Calgary Flames. While the Avs certainly aren’t completely reliant on the offensive that he brings, the proven spark of having one of the most talented players in the NHL doesn’t hurt to have in your arsenal. On the positive side of things, we are finally seeing deadline acquisition Artturi Lehkonen in his first game wearing an Avalanche sweater. Due to a visa issue, the former Montreal Canadiens winger has had to wait on the sidelines to join his team on the ice. For his first game on his new team, he will be on the right side of J.T. Compher and Andre Burakovsky — not a bad way to start out. Projected Lineup Valeri Nuchushkin – Nazem Kadri – Mikko RantanenAndre Burakovsky – JT Compher – Artturi LehkonenAlex Newhook – Nico Sturm – Logan O’ConnorAndrew Cogliano – Darren Helm – Nicolas Aube-Kubel Jack Johnson – Cale MakarDevon Toews – Josh MansonErik Johnson – Kurtis MacDermid Darcy Kuemper is your projected starter, but Pavel Francouz could also get the nod. The Tweets
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Gameday Open Thread: Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames (7:00 p.m.) – Mile High Hockey
