Forward Sven Andrighetto took part in a full contact practice Wednesday and is likely to make his season debut Thursday when the Avalanche play in New Jersey.

Andrighetto missed the first six games with a leg injury he sustained Sept. 26 in a preseason game against Dallas. He skated for several days before Wednesday.

"He is going to be available for us tomorrow,” coach Jared Bednar told reporters. “We are still making some lineup decisions, but I thought he looked great. That's his first contact practice, but he has been skating with the team now for a couple practices.

"I think he looks quick, he is in really good shape. He has done a lot of hard work since he's been out and I'm excited to have a guy like him available again, adds some skill and some speed to our lineup."

Also, goalie Philipp Grubauer will make his second start when he faces the Devils. He stopped 30 of 34 shots Oct. 9 in the Avalanche’s 5-2 loss in Columbus.

Center J.T. Compher will miss his second game in a row because of a head injury, but Bednar said he’s making some progress.

"He is back on the ice and he is making some progression, so I think he is headed in the right direction," Bednar said. "He is not a player for us tomorrow, though. Hopefully sometime during this trip, though, we can get him in the lineup. We will just see how all that goes with his recovery."

*****

Congratulations are in order for center Nathan MacKinnon, who set a Quebec/Colorado franchise record Tuesday when he scored with 13 seconds left in the second period in the Avalanche’s 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.

MacKinnon, who has seven goals, scored in his sixth consecutive game to open the season. He matched Quebec forward Mats Sundin’s 1992-93 record last Saturday when he scored against Calgary, his fifth game in a row to begin a season.

"It's cool to have a record,” he said. “Beating a guy like Sundin is pretty special."

Captain Gabriel Landeskog scored the other regulation goal for the Avalanche (3-1-2), who lost in overtime to the Flames on Saturday. Semyon Varlamov made 41 saves.

Right wing Mikko Rantanen had an assist on Landeskog's goal, giving him an assist in each of the first six games.

Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Shattenkirk scored for the Rangers in the shootout, Rantanen scored for the Avalanche.



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