Former first-round pick Martin Kaut will play right wing on the fourth line Thursday when the Avalanche play the first of three straight games in St. Louis.
The Avalanche would clinch their fourth consecutive berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a regulation win.
Here are the GAME NOTES.
Kaut, the No. 16 pick in the 2018 NHL draft, had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 13 games with the Colorado Eagles.
“It’s always good to be here with the Avs,… he said after the morning skate. “I just want to be ready for this game.…
Kaut played one game with the Avalanche earlier this season, logging 5:50 on Jan. 22 against Anaheim. He has two goals and an assist in 10 career NHL games.
One very happy Kaut 😄#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/zcQP3Ub6Lf
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 22, 2021
Jared Bednar will coach his 360th career NHL game, passing Bob Hartley for the most games coached in Avalanche history (since 1995-96). Only Michel Bergeron (634 games with the Quebec Nordiques) has coached more games in franchise history.
“I haven’t really thought about it, to tell you the truth,… Bednar, 49, said. “I try to live in the moment and coach in the moment. I don’t really look back on too much of the past. Right now we’re just trying to move forward and better our hockey team; that’s my goal.…
Bednar succeeded Patrick Roy on Aug. 25, 2016, becoming the seventh coach in Avalanche history and 15th in franchise history.
“It’s the same message I’m giving to our players: if you take care of the process and habits and details, we’ll get the results we want,… he said. “I think it’s important as a coach that you practice what you preach, and that’s what I try to do with our players.
"I’m fortunate to have made it through that first tough year (48 points) and I’m thankful to the organization and ownership group and (general manager) Joe (Sakic) and (assistant GM) Chris (MacFarland), and I’m excited to coach this team.
"It’s an exciting team, I think we move forward every year and we’re looking forward to the playoffs this year and I hope to coach another 360-something games for the Avalanche.…
Bednar has a 175-145-39 career record with the Avalanche, who have won four games in a row and are 17-1-2 in the past 20 games.
Devan Dubnyk will make his second start since his April 10 acquisition from San Jose as Philipp Grubauer continues his COVID-19 protocol along with Mikko Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi. Dubnyk made 31 saves in a 4-3 win in St. Louis on April 14 in his Avalanche debut.
Defenseman Patrik Nemeth will play his first game since his April 9 acquisition from Detroit. He was out with an upper-body injury.
The Avalanche have gone 4-1-0 against the Blues this season.
Nathan MacKinnon has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in an 11-game point streak, the longest active streak in the league. He has an assist in six consecutive games and 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in his past 19 games.
The lineup:
FORWARDS Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Andre Burakovsky Carl Soderberg -- Nazem Kadri -- J.T. Compher Brandon Saad -- Tyson Jost -- Valeri Nichushkin Liam O’Brien -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Martin Kaut
DEFENSE Devon Toews -- Samuel Girard Ryan Graves -- Cale Makar Patrik Nemeth -- Conor Timmins
GOALIES Devan Dubnyk Jonas Johansson