Seattle Kraken (15-18-2) @ Colorado Avalanche (20-15-0)

6pm MT | ball arena | Watch: Altitude, NHL Network, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)

After a 2-1-0 road trip, the Avalanche return home to face the Kraken in their final game before the NHL holiday break. This is the final meeting between the teams this season, as the Avalanche won 3-2 in Seattle on October 22nd and 6-3 in Denver on November 5th.

Latest result (COL): COL 4, ANA 2

Latest result (SEA): SEA 2, VGK 6

Success in SoCal

The Avalanche defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Friday at Honda Center. Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal and three points while Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves for the Avs. Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson opened the scoring at 2:40 of the second period with a deflection at the net, but the Ducks didn’t lead for long. Just four minutes later, Parker Kelly scored his third goal of the season while the Avs were shorthanded to tie the game at 6:40. The Burgundy and Blue took a 2-1 lead at 10:57 of the midfield mark when Valeri Nichushkin scored his 10th goal of the season, finishing off a loose puck in the blue paint. Cale Makar also scored his 10th goal of the season, doubling Colorado’s power-play lead at 3:30 of the third period with a shot from the right circle. Alex Killorn brought the Ducks within one goal at 13:05 of the third period, but that would have been the Ducks’ last goal of the game. MacKinnon restored Colorado’s two-goal lead with his 14th goal of the season at 18:41 of the third period.

At the summit

Nate the Great

MacKinnon leads the NHL in points (55) and assists (41).

All greetings Cale

Among defensemen, Makar is first in points (42) and is tied for first in assists (32), while he is second in goals (10). He ranks sixth in assists among all skaters.

Moose crossing

Rantanen is third in points (50), tied for sixth in goals (19) and eighth in assists (31).

Story

In 11 previous regular season games, the Avalanche were 7-3-1 against the Kraken, including four wins in the last five meetings.

Defeat in the desert

The Kraken lost 6-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. Vince Dunn gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead at 2:34 of the first period, but the Golden Knights took a 3-1 lead at the first intermission thanks to goals from Keegan Kolesar at 12:39, Brett Howden at 13 :50 and Nicolas Hague at 17:48. After a scoreless midfield, William Karlsson extended Vegas’ lead to three at 8:09 of the third period, and Noah Hanifin made it 5-1 at 11:28. The Kraken got within three on a goal from Jaden Schwartz at 13:58, but Vegas regained its four-goal lead with a goal from Mark Stone at 18:51.

Success against the Kraken

In 10 regular season games against Seattle, MacKinnon has 14 points (3g/11a), including six points (1g/5a) in two games this season.

Makar has 14 points (4g/10a) in 10 regular season games against the Kraken, including four assists in two games this season.

In nine games against the Kraken, Artturi Lehkonen has seven points (3g/4a), including two points (1g/1a) in his season debut on November 5th.

Pacific Northwest producers

Jared McCann leads the Kraken in points (26) and is tied for first in goals (11).

Oliver Björkstrand ranks first on the team with 11 goals and second with 24 points.

Chandler Stephenson leads Seattle in assists (20) and is third in points (23).

A numbers game

137

MacKinnon scored 137 points (46g/91a) in 2024, the most in the NHL and the most by an Avalanche/Nordiques player in a calendar year, surpassing his own mark of 135 points in 2023.

7

The Avalanche won seven games in December, tied for the second-most games in the NHL.

2.5

Colorado is allowing 2.5 goals per game in December, which is the 11th fewest goals in the NHL.

Quote that left its mark

“I thought (our) penalty kill was really good. And Wedgewood was probably the difference in hockey for us from what we gave up because it was too much. I thought he was outstanding.”

– Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar on Scott Wedgewood’s performance on Friday