NHL-best Avalanche aim to stay hot at struggling Predators

Two teams at opposite ends of the standings go head-to-head when the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche visit the lowly Nashville Predators on Saturday.

The Avalanche have been a wagon through the first quarter of the season, with a 14-1-5 record. Half of those victories have come courtesy of the seven-game winning streak they're riding into Saturday's tilt. Most recently, they dispatched the New York Rangers 6-3 on Thursday to close out a four-game homestand, rallying from a pair of one-goal deficits.

They've outscored the opposition 37-15 during their streak, and only once have they allowed more than three goals -- in their 5-4 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 9.

"When our team kind of finds that balance of playing with the puck and making skilled plays, and then also shooting and going to the dirty areas, it seems to snowball for our team," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said.

It's been nearly a month since the Avalanche suffered their lone regulation loss, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Boston Bruins back on Oct. 25. That defeat was part of a four-game skid in which they went 0-1-3. Colorado is 9-0-1 since.

Center Nathan MacKinnon, winger Martin Necas and defenseman Cale Makar are fueling the Avalanche offense and rank among the top eight in NHL scoring. MacKinnon leads the league with 16 goals and 36 points, and Necas' 28 points and 13 goals are both tied for fifth-most. Makar is the top-scoring defenseman, entering Friday with a league-best eight goals and 28 points.

"This has been a good way (for me) to start the season, but I feel like I've still got more in the tank individually," Makar said. "The good thing is, I think our team has a lot more in the tank, too."

The Predators, meanwhile, will resume their schedule after a break upon returning from the 2025 NHL Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. They split the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins; they won the opener on Nov. 14, but dropped a 4-0 decision in the rematch last Sunday.

They entered Friday second-to-last in the NHL, just one point ahead of Calgary.

Nashville could get a jolt for Saturday's contest, with captain Roman Josi possibly ready to return from an upper-body injury that's sidelined him for 12 games. He rejoined the team for practice Wednesday.

"It was great to see him out there," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said Wednesday. "We miss him in our lineup, it's pretty obvious ... so hopefully he's getting closer to a return."

Saturday kicks off a busy stretch for Nashville, which will play 12 games in 24 days, including five games over the next eight days. The club has just one win in its past seven games (1-4-2) and two in its past 11.

"The vibe in the room and throughout the games are much better than I felt last year," Brunette said. "I feel the group is really tight. ... I feel there's more of a connectivity and more of a will from our group. The results aren't where we want to go or where we want them to be every night, but I feel the process has been pretty good."

--Field Level Media