Avalanche Aim for Redemption Against Kraken in Seattle Showdown

The Colorado Avalanche are set to embark on a two-game road trip, beginning with a crucial matchup against the Seattle Kraken. After a narrow 4–3 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week, the Avalanche are eager to bounce back and secure a much-needed victory. This will mark the second of three meetings between the teams this season, with Colorado having previously claimed a 5–3 win in Seattle on December 16. The series will conclude on April 16 at Ball Arena.

In their last outing, the Avalanche’s loss was characterized by momentum swings and several pivotal moments on special teams. Ross Colton ignited the scoring just 32 seconds into the first period, firing a shot from the point that found its way through traffic for his eighth goal of the season. This play also marked a milestone for Brock Nelson, who recorded the 500th even-strength point of his NHL career with the assist.

Edmonton quickly responded, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins converting a power-play opportunity from close range midway through the first. Colorado regained the lead later in the period when Martin Necas netted a power-play goal from the left circle, setting a new career high with his 29th goal of the year. However, the lead was short-lived as Jack Roslovic tied the game late in the first, followed by Nugent-Hopkins scoring his second of the night early in the second period, giving Edmonton its first lead.

The Avalanche managed to pull level early in the third when Valeri Nichushkin redirected a right-point shot from Sam Malinski for his 14th goal of the season. Yet, it was Connor McDavid’s power-play one-timer at 9:03 of the third that ultimately sealed the game for the Oilers.

Despite the setback, Colorado’s offense continues to thrive, led by Nathan MacKinnon, who tops the NHL with 43 goals and ranks among the leaders with 104 points and 61 assists. His impact is particularly notable at even strength, where he has amassed an NHL-best 250 points in five-on-five situations since the start of the 2023–24 season. Meanwhile, Cale Makar remains a dynamic presence on the blue line, ranking among the top-scoring defensemen in the league with 66 points, including 19 goals and 47 assists.

Martin Necas has also emerged as a key contributor for the Avalanche, tallying seven goals since February 25, tying for the most in the league during that span and propelling him into the NHL’s top ten in scoring with 77 points.

On the other side, the Kraken are looking to rebound from a 4–2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Seattle initially took a 2–0 lead in the first period, thanks to goals from Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers. However, Nashville responded with three unanswered goals in the second period, and Steven Stamkos sealed the game with an empty-net goal late in the third.

Offensively, Seattle is led by veteran forward Jordan Eberle, who has scored 22 goals and totaled 44 points this season. Defenseman Vince Dunn leads the team with 29 assists, while Beniers ranks second in scoring with 40 points.

Historically, the Avalanche have fared well against the Kraken, holding a 9-3-1 record in 13 regular-season meetings. Additionally, several of Colorado’s stars have excelled in this matchup; MacKinnon has recorded 19 points in 12 regular-season games against Seattle, while Makar has contributed 19 regular-season points against the Kraken.

Defensively, Colorado has also been impressive on the road this season, allowing just 2.55 goals per game, tied for the lowest in the NHL. Following Tuesday’s loss, Makar expressed confidence in the team’s overall performance, stating, “I thought everybody had good legs tonight. I thought we had overall good forechecks. We struggled on the breakout a little bit early, but we were able to figure it out. I felt like we had some good chances but just didn’t finish sometimes.”

As the Avalanche continue their push through the final stretch of the regular season, they will seek to convert more of those chances and secure a vital win against the Kraken on Thursday night.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.