Avаlаncһe Lіkely To Tаke Advаntаge Of Abѕent Cаnuckѕ Stаr'ѕ Abѕence, Beаt Vаncouver

The Avalanche are playing against Vancouver Tuesday, and with a Canucks star not playing in the game, the Avs need to take advantage of it and win their third game in a row.

The Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks were scheduled to go at it Tuesday night, with the Avalanche seeking their third straight win and the Canucks without superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes for the second straight game. The Avs also will be looking to continue their current two-game streak with zero goals allowed for the third straight game. 

Not having Hughes (a deserving favorite for best defenseman) taking on Cale Makar (another deserving favorite for best defenseman) will be disappointing from an entertainment perspective Tuesday night. But not having Hughes -- and having a red-hot goalie in Mackenzie Blackwood --  will likely result in Colorado continuing its win streak, as the Avs have a lot that's great about their game at the moment.

We mentioned the Avs' complete shutout of their two past opponents, and it wasn't just a 1-0 or 2-1 game. They outscored their opponents 7-0 in those two Colorado wins, and played a steady, confident game in blanking the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche have been getting excellent netminding from Blackwood, and their skaters have committed to a smart defensive game. 

We shouldn't take this to mean Colorado can't be beat. This just still feels like another strong stretch for Blackwood, and one that will be easier because Hughes isn't there. He is a difference-maker, and not having him in the lineup will make a difference and probably leave the Canucks in the loss column Tuesday night.

Of course, there's a chance the Canucks rally around their best player's absence and knock off the Avs. Colorado has had its jitters this season, and they're only a few games removed from a three-game losing streak. But Blackwood's dominance and the other cornerstone components named Makar and Nathan MacKinnon have imposed their will more often than not, and a depleted and changing Vancouver squad needs to be taken advantage of. 

Because if Hughes does play when next these two teams meet -- in Colorado's April 10 game hosting the Canucks, the Avs' third-to-last game of the regular season -- it could be a different story altogether. Vancouver still has the potential to be a consistently good team, but the Avalanche are getting it done thoroughly and convincingly right now, and no one should be surprised to see them beat the Canucks.