The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and play their home games at Ball Arena, which they share with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.
Colorado Avalanche: Toronto maple leafs| leafs highlights| Goalie
Toronto maple leafs:
Star center Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup on Wednesday and the Avalanche was blown out. Just as happened earlier this season.
Toronto superstar Auston Matthews scored three goals — his second to cap his first shift of the third period — and the Maple Leafs built an early 3-0 lead and pounded Colorado 8-3 before a crowd of 18,931 at Scotiabank Arena.
Leafs highlights:
The Avs were blown out 6-3 at Washington on Oct. 16 after MacKinnon missed the first two games of the season because of COVID protocol. MacKinnon, who had two assists and generally played well against the Leafs, had missed the previous eight games before Wednesday with a lower-body injury.
Colorado (11-7-1) fell to 4-5 on the road heading into Thursday’s game in Montreal against the Canadiens. Toronto won its NHL-leading 17th game and stand 17-6-1.
| Conference | Western |
|---|---|
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1972 |
| History | Quebec Nordiques 1972–1979 (WHA) 1979–1995 (NHL) Colorado Avalanche 1995–present |
| Home arena | Ball Arena |
| City | Denver, Colorado |
Goalie:
Matthews and the Maple Leafs feasted on Avs goalie Jonas Johansson, who became the starter after Darcy Kuemper sustained an upper-body injury earlier in the day, likely at the morning skate in which he participated.
Kuemper was not able to serve as backup and Colorado began the game with Toronto’s designated emergency backup, University of Toronto goalie Jett Alexander, on the bench.
The Avs recalled young goalie Justus Annunen earlier in the day from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles and, after a hectic afternoon of travel, he replaced Alexander on the bench to begin the second period. Johannson played the entire game, allowing three goals in each of the first and third periods.
