Well, Avalanche fans, the day has finally come! We can watch Colorado Avalanche hockey tonight as the 2024-25 regular season begins in Vegas against the Golden Knights. How do young guys like Cal Ritchie, Nikolai Kovalenko, Ivan Ivan and Sam Malinsi address Colorado’s lack of talent? Will Vegas dish out humble pie? Or are the new Avs better than expected?

Colorado avalanche

There’s a lot to discuss in Colorado before a new season begins, but I find the young replacements to be the most intriguing storyline of the available storylines. It’s no secret that the Avalanche will be without Val Nichushkin, Gabe Landeskog and Arturri Lehkonen to start the season. How do the young draftees do justice in their position? We’ll find out early when we face a good team for the first time, the Golden Knights, who are just a season away from their first Cup championship.

The start of this season may present some challenges, but don’t let the talent of Colorado’s core roster scare you. Nathan MacKinnon is the league’s MVP and Cale Makar is the league’s best defender. Oh yeah, and they have Mikko Rantanen for at least one more season. Yesterday Mike Rupp said the Avalanche were “a falling off wheels injury,” but doesn’t that apply to all teams? I still have faith in this group. This also applies to head coach Jared Bednar.

Planned lineup

Jonathan Drouin – Nathan MacKinnon – Mikko Rantanen
Nikolai Kovalenko – Casey Mittelstadt – Callum Ritchie
Miles Wood – Ross Colton – Logan O’Connor
Ivan Ivan – Parker Kelly – Joel Kiviranta

Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Sam Girard-Josh Manson
Calvin De Haan – Sam Malinski

Note: Check out our X account for the official opening list!

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas is in exactly the same position the Avalanche were in last season. They failed to assert themselves as champions after losing some depth due to their success. However, like the Avalanche, they have managed to keep their core talent intact and should be a threat in the West again this season.

As for tonight’s game, I expect a level of physicality and extracurricular activities that will elicit an emotional response. Even though these teams don’t play in the same league, it’s safe to say that they know each other and always have a certain level of contempt for each other.

How will the outstanding talents of Colorado and Vegas compete? For me this is the key to today’s season opening competition. What is your key to victory tonight? Let me know in the comments.

Planned lineup

Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev – Tomas Hertl – Alexander Holtz
Victor Olofsson – Nicolas Roy – Brendan Brisson
Tanner Pearson – Brett Howden – Keegan Kolesar

Shae Theodore – Alex Pietrangelo
Noah Hanafin – Nicolas Hague
Brayden McNabb – Zach Whitecloud

goalkeeper

We will have Alexandar Georgiev in net for the Avalanche and this is a big season for the Russian goaltender as it is a contract year. The avalanche might be interested in promoting Justus Annunen to full-time starter if Georgiev doesn’t force them to do so this season. It’s pretty clear that Colorado doesn’t think they need a top-10 goaltender to win a Cup. So if he puts up insanely good numbers, he could find himself out of Denver. Hopefully he will have a great season and force Colorado to make a difficult decision.

Adin Hill will be opening night in Vegas, and he also happens to be at a critical time in his career where he has everything to prove. It should make for a great battle between the pipes tonight.

Please don’t forget to check out the latest Mile High Hockey Lab edition on your favorite podcast platform!