NHL

St. Louis Blues vs Colorado Avalanche prediction

St. Louis Blues5–4–1 · Home Colorado Avalanche6–4–1 · Away08:00 PMDec 8

Lines

Lines from the last game · may change

St. Louis Blues

Last game: Oct 22

JH30HoferProjected

DH81HollowayLW RT18ThomasC JS21SnuggerudRW

1st line

13:30 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
81	Dylan Holloway LW	18:40	3	7	10
18	Robert Thomas C	19:27	1	4	5
21	Jimmy Snuggerud RW	17:34	6	2	8

23 points this season

PB89BuchnevichLW JN63NeighboursC DD15DvorskyRW

2nd line

12:53 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
89	Pavel Buchnevich LW	17:14	2	4	6
63	Jake Neighbours C	16:38	3	2	5
15	Dalibor Dvorsky RW	15:05	2	1	3

14 points this season

CM77McMichaelLW MM83McTavishC JB29BerggrenRW

3rd line

11:20 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
77	Connor McMichael LW	13:14	2	5	7
83	Mason McTavish C	14:06	6	4	10
29	Jonatan Berggren RW	13:49	2	3	5

22 points this season

PS22SuterLW AK41KaskimakiC OS28StenbergRW

4th line

10:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
22	Pius Suter LW	11:50	3	3	6
41	Aleksanteri Kaskimaki C	12:38	0	1	1
28	Otto Stenberg RW	11:36	0	1	1

8 points this season

PB6BrobergD JB72BarronD

1st pair

9:56 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
6	Philip Broberg D	22:51	2	4	6
72	Justin Barron D	20:23	1	4	5

11 points this season

CF17FowlerD BC25CarloD

2nd pair

15:15 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
17	Cam Fowler D	20:32	0	4	4
25	Brandon Carlo D	19:27	0	1	1

5 points this season

CP55ParaykoD AJ36JiricekD

3rd pair

6:06 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
55	Colton Parayko D	18:36	0	4	4
36	Adam Jiricek D	16:20	1	1	2

6 points this season

RT18ThomasF DH81HollowayF JS21SnuggerudF

JN63NeighboursF PB6BrobergD

Power play unit 1

1:34 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
18	Robert Thomas F	19:27	1	4	5
81	Dylan Holloway F	18:40	3	7	10
21	Jimmy Snuggerud F	17:34	6	2	8
63	Jake Neighbours F	16:38	3	2	5
6	Philip Broberg D	22:51	2	4	6

34 points this season

Power play unit 2: No such unit in that game.

Penalty kill unit 1: No such unit in that game.

Penalty kill unit 2: No such unit in that game.

Goalies: Joel Hofer #30 (Projected) · Jordan Binnington #50 (Backup)

Colorado Avalanche

Last game: Oct 23

1st line

10:29 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen LW	18:56	9	4	13
29	Nathan MacKinnon C	18:10	7	13	20
88	Martin Nečas RW	16:32	6	8	14

47 points this season

92LandeskogLW

11NelsonC

91KadriRW

2nd line

8:03 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
92	Gabriel Landeskog LW	11:51	4	2	6
11	Brock Nelson C	18:22	3	5	8
91	Nazem Kadri RW	15:03	1	7	8

22 points this season

71SchwartzLW FS9SvechkovC

13HughesRW

3rd line

8:26 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
71	Jaden Schwartz LW	13:07	3	4	7
9	Fedor Svechkov C	11:48	2	4	6
13	T.J. Hughes RW	13:10	2	2	4

17 points this season

TM16MakarLW

17KellyC

25O'ConnorRW

4th line

6:49 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
16	Taylor Makar LW	8:11	–	–	–
17	Parker Kelly C	14:17	1	4	5
25	Logan O'Connor RW	14:47	0	0	0

27KulakD

70MalinskiD

1st pair

13:52 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
27	Brett Kulak D	21:06	0	4	4
70	Sam Malinski D	19:03	0	2	2

6 points this season

8MakarD

7ToewsD

2nd pair

10:39 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
8	Cale Makar D	21:07	3	8	11
7	Devon Toews D	17:41	3	5	8

19 points this season

42MansonD

84BurnsD

3rd pair

10:41 together at 5-on-5

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
42	Josh Manson D	18:21	1	3	4
84	Brent Burns D	18:15	0	3	3

7 points this season

Power play unit 1

2:39 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
29	Nathan MacKinnon F	18:10	7	13	20
91	Nazem Kadri F	15:03	1	7	8
13	T.J. Hughes F	13:10	2	2	4
71	Jaden Schwartz F	13:07	3	4	7
8	Cale Makar D	21:07	3	8	11

50 points this season

Power play unit 2

0:56 together on the power play

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen F	18:56	9	4	13
11	Brock Nelson F	18:22	3	5	8
88	Martin Nečas F	16:32	6	8	14
92	Gabriel Landeskog F	11:51	4	2	6
8	Cale Makar D	21:07	3	8	11

52 points this season

Penalty kill unit 1

2:09 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
62	Artturi Lehkonen F	18:56	9	4	13
11	Brock Nelson F	18:22	3	5	8
42	Josh Manson D	18:21	1	3	4
84	Brent Burns D	18:15	0	3	3

28 points this season

Penalty kill unit 2

1:41 together on the penalty kill

#	Player	TOI	G	A	P
25	Logan O'Connor F	14:47	0	0	0
17	Parker Kelly F	14:17	1	4	5
8	Cale Makar D	21:07	3	8	11
7	Devon Toews D	17:41	3	5	8

24 points this season

Goalies: Scott Wedgewood #41 (Projected) · Mackenzie Blackwood #39 (Backup)

Swipe the rink to switch units

How we read the lines

From the NHL’s shift charts, the three forwards and the two defencemen who shared the most 5-on-5 ice time, ranked by time on ice. Coaches shuffle lines often, so treat them as a guide until puck drop. Power-play and penalty-kill units: the five (on the power play) or four (on the penalty kill) skaters who were on the ice together the longest in that situation. TOI: ice time in that game. G, A, P: goals, assists and points this season.

Photo credits (19)

Jordan Binnington · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Artturi Lehkonen · All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
Nathan MacKinnon · 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
Martin Nečas · OISV, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gabriel Landeskog · 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0
Brock Nelson · Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0
Nazem Kadri · Logan34can, CC BY-SA 4.0
Jaden Schwartz · Hugh Lee from Edmonton Alberta, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
T.J. Hughes · SecretName101, CC BY 4.0
Parker Kelly · Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Logan O'Connor · Tim Piper, CC BY 2.0
Brett Kulak · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Sam Malinski · Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cale Makar · Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0
Devon Toews · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Josh Manson · Jessica, CC BY-SA 2.0
Brent Burns · mark6mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0
Mackenzie Blackwood · TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
Scott Wedgewood · Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0

Goalie duel

Projected

Projected from recent starts · confirmed at puck drop

Joel Hofer LOU

.921 save percentage

2.17 GAA · 4–2–1 · 1 shutout · 7 starts

Scott Wedgewood COL

.912 save percentage

2.65 GAA · 1–1–1 · 3 starts

Back-up expected: second night of a back-to-back

Teams do not name their goalie before the game. We expect the No. 1 unless his team played the night before, when the back-up usually starts; last season that call was right about two times in three. Our win chances do not depend on it.

Photo credits (1)