Flyers at Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche's top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog picked up where they left off after combining for 88 goals and 225 points in the final 72 games of 2017-18, as the trio accounted for five points in the team's season-opening victory. The Avalanche hope their top line's performance snowballs on Saturday as the club hosts the Philadelphia Flyers at Pepsi Center.
MacKinnon, who recorded career highs in goals (39), assists (58) and points (97) to finish as a runner-up for the Hart Trophy last season, converted a nifty cross-ice feed from Rantanen to score the go-ahead tally midway into the second period of Thursday's 4-1 victory versus Minnesota. The 23-year-old MacKinnon set up a pair of goals and Rantanen also tallied in a 5-4 shootout win in Philadelphia on Nov. 4, but the top line was held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 setback versus the visiting Flyers on March 28. Wayne Simmonds was limited to just one assist against Colorado last season as he dealt with a litany of injuries, but the 30-year-old showed how healthy he was on Thursday as he scored twice and finished with a team-high four shots and seven hits in a 5-2 season-opening win versus Vegas. "It's always good to see (Simmonds) in his element," coach Dave Hakstol said, per Philly.com. "His first goal was down in and around the crease, and then a power-play goal in his familiar spot (down low). That, along with his 200-foot game, is a good first outing for him."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (1-0-0): Like the Colorado trio, Jakub Voracek also picked up where he left off from last season's performance in which he set personal bests in both assists (65) and points (85) by setting up two goals on Thursday. "If I end up (with) 65 points, and we end up in the second, third round and have a shot at the Cup, I'd rather (have that)," the 29-year-old Czech told Philly.com. Voracek scored and set up a goal against the Avalanche in 2017-18 while captain Claude Giroux tallied twice in the season series as part of his career-best 34-goal, 102-point performance.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (1-0-0): Colorado's bid to locate secondary scoring outside of its talented top line once again circled around a familiar face in Carl Soderberg, who matched Rantanen with a goal and an assist versus Minnesota for his 40th multi-point performance of his career. The 32-year-old Soderberg has notched 16-goal seasons on two occasions in his career while eclipsing the 50-point plateau during his first campaign with the Avalanche in 2015-16. Alexander Kerfoot, who set up J.T. Compher's late power-play goal Thursday, is also being looked upon for secondary scoring after finishing fourth on the team in goals (19) and fifth in assists (24) and points (43) last season.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia C Sean Couturier will play in his 500th career game on Saturday.
2. Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov, who made 20 saves in his 400th career game on Thursday, owns a 3-2-1 mark with a 3.00 goals-against average versus the Flyers.
3. Philadelphia placed G Anthony Stolarz on waivers Friday and are expected to recall former Colorado G Calvin Pickard prior to Saturday's game.