Avalanche Seek Better Support and a Response Against Surging Devils

Colorado’s rematch with New Jersey arrives with two tests packed into one night: answer a 4-3 defeat from Oct. 20 and find more production beyond the Avalanche’s leading attackers. The Devils visit Ball Arena on Wednesday carrying a four-game winning streak, while Colorado enters 4-5-1 over its last 10 games.

The earlier meeting was less even than the final score suggests. Colorado scored twice late to turn a lopsided game into a one-goal result, leaving the Avalanche with a narrow margin on the scoreboard but a larger gap to address in the rematch. The home game offers a timely chance to show that performance was an outlier, though New Jersey’s recent run makes that a difficult assignment.

The Devils are coming off a 5-1 win over Colorado’s division rival Dallas on Tuesday. Jack Hughes and Connor Hellebuyck led the way in Hellebuyck’s debut for New Jersey. The result gives the visitors momentum heading into the second game of their back-to-back, and Colorado will need to make them work for every clean look rather than letting the visitors carry Tuesday’s confidence into the opening minutes.

Colorado needs more offense spread through the lineup

Nathan MacKinnon has 21 points through 12 games, and Artturi Lehkonen leads the Avalanche with 10 goals. Martin Necas has also contributed, giving Colorado a dangerous group when the three are clicking. That top-end production remains a major strength, but the team’s recent record points to the limits of asking its best attackers to shoulder so much of the scoring burden.

The next step is a steadier contribution from the rest of the forward group. Nazem Kadri has one goal in 12 games. Brock Nelson hasn’t looked on pace for another 30-goal season, and Jaden Schwartz hasn’t yet provided the stabilizing presence Colorado needs from its bottom six. Those observations don’t mean each player has struggled in every part of his game; they do underline how much the Avalanche could use more offense and consistency from across the lineup.

Parker Kelly is another player to watch. He hasn’t looked like the 20-goal scorer he was a year ago, though there’s time for him to heat up. Colorado’s immediate need makes the timing significant: a scoring burst later in the season would help, but the Avalanche need useful contributions now while they try to steady a frustrating start.

For Wednesday, the practical measure is whether Colorado can turn chances into help for its top producers. A goal from a depth forward or a timely shift that sustains pressure could change the feel of a game against a Devils team that has been winning. The Avalanche don’t need every supporting player to become a headline scorer; they need enough of them to keep opposing defenses from focusing their attention on MacKinnon, Necas and Lehkonen.

Possible line changes put roles in focus

Head coach Jared Bednar may adjust his combinations without overhauling the full lineup. Nic Roy’s return could place him between Nelson and Gabriel Landeskog on the second line. That would shift Kadri to center the third line with T.J. Hughes and Schwartz. Those combinations are possibilities described ahead of the game, rather than a confirmed final lineup.

If Roy takes that second-line role, the change could give Bednar another look at how the forwards fit together and spread responsibility across the top nine. Nelson and Landeskog would have a different center alongside them, while Kadri would get an opportunity to drive a line with Hughes and Schwartz. The results on the ice will matter more than the names on paper: Colorado needs the combinations to generate pressure and give its leading scorers more support.

The fourth line is expected to include Kelly, Fedor Svechkov and Logan O’Connor. Svechkov’s return to the group follows his benching Sunday against Nashville. Wednesday gives him a fresh chance to earn a regular shift, and the response to that opportunity will be worth watching. A strong, reliable fourth-line showing can help the Avalanche maintain pace and keep pressure on New Jersey’s defense.

MacKenzie Blackwood is expected to return in goal. He has been good this season, and a steady performance would give Colorado a foundation as it tries to rebound at home. With the Devils arriving after a convincing win and the Avalanche searching for more consistency, the matchup offers a clear read on whether Colorado’s supporting cast and possible line adjustments can help turn a frustrating stretch around.

The immediate stakes are straightforward: Colorado needs a sharper showing than it delivered in Newark, and it needs more of the roster involved in producing it. A win would answer the Devils’ earlier result and interrupt their run; the more lasting sign would be a balanced effort that gives the Avalanche a repeatable path beyond their top line.