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The Colorado Avalanche are off to a sputtering start. Maybe it’s a championship hangover or maybe the team has taking longer to gel after losing key players like Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Darcy Kuemper, but it’s clear that the Avs have yet to find their form.
Not only has Colorado taken just nine of a possible 18 points to start the season, but the Avalanche have an even goal differential and their statistical portfolio is pretty ugly.
A trip to Finland for the NHL’s global series – and a date with the Columbus Blue Jackets – could be just what the doctor ordered for the Avs. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET at Nokia Arena in Tampere.
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Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche Getty Images
Avalanche vs. Blue Jackets prediction and preview
As uninspiring as the Avs have been through the first three weeks of the season, you can hardly find a better opponent for them right now. The Blue Jackets are, to put it frankly, in complete disarray.
The Blue Jackets rank dead last in goals against average, 5-on-5 goals allowed and save percentage. Only two teams allow more shot attempts at 5-on-5 than the Jackets, who also sit in the bottom-10 in preventing expected goals. We knew coming into the season that Columbus would be leaky and the pressure would be on star offensive players like Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine to paper over some of their defensive transgressions, but this is ugly.
Not helping things is the fact that both of Columbus’ goaltenders, Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov, are struggling quite a bit right now. Merzlikins came into the season as the No. 1 netminder, but he’s been among the worst goalies in the league through the first month. Merzlikins has the second-lowest save percentage among goaltenders with at least four appearances, and his -7.37 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) is the third-worst mark in the circuit.
Elvis Merzlikins Getty Images
Betting on the NHL?
Daniil Tarasov has been the better option for Columbus this season, but he’s got nine games of NHL experience to his name and is sitting on an .893 save percentage and -2.15 GSAx through five outings.
The defense and goaltending have been abysmal for the Jackets, but the offense hasn’t been good, either. Columbus is 29th in the NHL goals per game and is the only team in the league that has not scored on the power play this season.
There is some inherent variance built into this game since it’s taking place in Finland, but that isn’t enough to warrant a look on the Blue Jackets. Instead, bettors can back the Avs in a number of different ways, like an alt puckline (-2.5, for example), a team total over or even a longshot bet on Colorado to win in a shutout. And if you’re into player props, an anytime goalscorer bet on Finnish forwards Mikko Rantanen and/or Artturi Lehkonen could also provide some value.
Avalanche vs. Blue Jackets pick
Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (-105, FanDuel)