The Washington Capitals will visit one of the hottest teams in the league on Friday night when they meet the Colorado Avalanche inside Ball Arena. The Avalanche have won three games in a row and four of their last five, dropping only a 1-0 decision to the powerhouse 15-2 Winnipeg Jets.
Colorado will also be adding some reinforcements for the game against Washington. Per Mile High Hockey, lineup regulars Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood, and Jonathan Drouin are all expected to return.
“It’s gonna change a lot because everything changes – power plays, penalty kills, five-on-five lines for the most part,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told DNVR Avalanche. “It’s exciting because we get a lot of the offensive firepower and guys that are difference makers five-on-five and on special teams back in the lineup. It’s gonna change a lot of things.”
Nichushkin is the most major returnee. Until recently, he had been away from the Avalanche since May 13, when he was placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Under the terms of the joint program, the Russian forward was suspended without pay for a minimum of six months.
“Val is our friend,” Nathan MacKinnon told Guerilla Sports. “He’s a great guy to be around; he’s a great teammate. Obviously, a hell of a player. Really, really happy he’s back.”
The 29-year-old forward is one of Colorado’s major contributors, recording 53 points (28g, 25a) in 54 games last season. Despite missing 28 games, Nichushkin finished fifth on the team in scoring and then had 10 points (9g, 1a) in eight playoff games before his suspension.
UPDATE: Miles Wood and Jonathan Drouin have been activated from Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/ouGi4J0s2V
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 14, 2024
Drouin was one of the four players who finished ahead of Nichushkin in scoring, tallying 56 points (19g, 37a) in 79 games. The 29-year-old winger hasn’t played since Colorado’s season opener on October 9 due to an upper-body injury. Before getting hurt, Drouin began the year on the team’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
Wood returns after missing the last seven games due to an upper-body injury. The bottom-six winger, whose favorite player was Alex Ovechkin growing up, has just one point (1g) in 10 games this season.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery wryly smiled when asked what sort of challenge Colorado presents his club, especially after such a poor performance in their last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“A significant one,” Carbery said. “They’re playing real well. I read a stat this morning that I think they’re leading in a ton of individual categories. Makar on the backend. Mackinnon, Rantanen just had a hat trick, I think, last night. Perfect. Nichushkin [coming back], and I think Wood and Drouin will be back in the lineup. They’re a great team.
“These are good opportunities for us to show what we’re capable of doing, and I feel like this is where we are as a team. We want to be one of the best teams in the league. That’s what we aspire to be, and we’re trying to put that on display every night and here’s a significant challenge but an opportunity for us to do just that.”
MacKinnon is the NHL’s leading scorer with 33 points (7g, 26a) in 17 games. Mikko Rantanen (12g, 13a) and Cale Makar (6g, 19a) rank not far behind him, tied with 25 points for the third most in the league. All three superstars combined for eight points (3g, 5a) in the Avalanche’s last game, a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Washington has lost four straight games against Colorado, including two games last season by a combined 12-5 score. They have not won on the road against the Avalanche since April 18, 2022. Point scorers in that game for the Capitals include Garnet Hathaway, Johan Larsson, Justin Schultz, Marcus Johansson, and Conor Sheary.
