Raw Charge
Summary
Time: 9:00 PM Location: Ball Arena, Denver TV/Stream/Radio: The Spot, ALT, 102.5 The Bone Odds: Lightning +105 Know the Opponents: Mile High Hockey To get the biggest question out of the way first, yes, it appears Anthony Cirelli will play tonight. He left Tuesday’s game early (after reaffirming his Tony Two Goals nickname) and didn’t practice on Tuesday. However, Coach Jon Cooper did say that his number two center would be back in the line-up following an optional morning skate in Denver. So, the Bolts will have their full complement of forwards to take on the Avalanche. That will be a good thing, because Colorado is going to come out with something to prove after dropping their last two games on the road. The Avalanche haven’t been quite the juggernaut they were last season when they made it all the way to early January before posting four losses, but they still know how to put the puck in the net. After ten games, they lead the NHL with 34 goals at 5v5 while posting a 14.29% shooting percentage. That’s probably not sustainable, especially since some of their other underlying numbers are a bit more pedestrian (10th in expected goals, 20th in high-danger chances, 15th in scoring chances against). They are a good team, but not a dominant one. Still, the Lightning are going to have to clean up their game a bit, and not rely on Andrei Vasilevskiy quite as much as they did in the win against the Vegas Golden Knights earlier in the week. Having Cirelli back in the line-up will definitely help as the 29-year-old is tied for second on the team with three 5v5 goals this season and is at 51.40% in the face-off dot at even strength. It also allows Coach Cooper to keep from messing around with his line-up too much. Would it have been fun to see Dominic James on a line with Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov? Sure, but it’s probably better for the overall team that he can use James on a line with Jeff Viel and Conor Geekie (if he decides to go 12/6). No matter who is on the ice, they are going to have to grind out another win. They got a little loose early on against the Golden Knights and had to be bailed out by Vasilevskiy. If they play like that, chances are the Avalanche are going to find a way to put the puck in the net. The Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas line has been one of the best in the league as they’ve posted a 9-4 edge in goals scored despite being slightly outshot on the ice (44-49). They’ve also retooled their bottom-six with Fedor Svechkov coming over in a summer trade for old friend Ross Colton. He’s played with free-agent signee Jayden Schwartz and college free agent T.J. Hughes on a line that has dictated 63.4% of the expected goals while they are on the ice and outscored opponents 5-2. That’s not too shabby for a third line. The Avs have had to rely a little more on offense than in season’s past as their defense isn’t quite what it was in previous years. Their pairing of Brent Burns and Josh Manson has been particularly entertaining as they’ve posted a 2.88 xGF and a 3.25 xGA in 97 minutes of ice time. Their goaltenders have been solid if not spectacular. MacKenzie Blackwood has gotten the bulk of playing time and is rocking a 1.1 GSAx while Scott Wedgewood is at 1.34 through three games. As we’ve said for the last few games, this should be an entertaining game, and if the Lightning can keep things relatively clean in their own zone, they have a chance of keeping the winning ways going. Potential Lines Forwards: Gage Goncalves Brayden Point Jake Guentzel Brandon Hagel Anthony Cirelli Nikita Kucherov Pontus Holmberg Zemgus Girgensons Ilya Mikheyev Dominic James Conor Geekie Defense: J.J. Moser John Carlson Ryan McDonagh Erik Cernak Victor Hedman Max Crozier Charle-Edouard D’Astous Goaltenders: Andrei Vasilevskiy Dennis Hildeby Colorado Avalanche Forwards: Arturri Lehkonen Nathan MacKinnon Martin Necas Gabriel Landeskog Brock Nelson Nazem Kadri Jaden Schwartz Fedor Svechkov T.J. Hughes Logan O’Connor Parker Kelly Taylor Makar Defense: Devon Toews Cale Makar Brett Kulak Sam Malinski Josh Manson Brent Burns Goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood