AVALANCHE NOTES CENTRAL DIVISION STANDINGS JOHNSON PLAYS 400TH GAME WITH AVS: Erik Johnson appeared in his Team GP W L OT PTS 400th game as a member of the Avalanche on Saturday night in Florida, St. Louis Blues 31 21 8 2 44 joining Adam Foote (760) and John-Michael Liles (523) as the only Winnipeg Jets 31 18 8 5 41 defensemen to play 400 regular-season contests in an Avs sweater. EJ Nashville Predators 29 18 7 4 40 appeared in his 600th NHL game on Dec. 3 against Dallas, becoming the first defenseman from the 2006 draft class to play 600 games. Dallas Stars 31 17 13 1 35 Minnesota Wild 29 15 11 3 33 BUSY DECEMBER: The Avalanche will play 15 games this month, including Chicago Blackhawks 30 14 11 5 33 nine at Pepsi Center, which equals their busiest home December ever. Only Colorado Avalanche 29 14 13 2 30 twice before have the Avs hosted nine games in this particular month, also doing so in December of 2000-01 and 2011-12. AVALANCHE LEADERS Category Player No. UPCOMING GAMES Goals Nathan MacKinnon 11 Tuesday, December 12 at Washington Capitals Assists Nathan MacKinnon 22 Capital One Arena, 5 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM Points Nathan MacKinnon 33 The Avalanche closes out a four-game road trip against the Power-Play Goals Mikko Rantanen 6 Washington Capitals, the second and final meeting of the season Penalty Minutes Nikita Zadorov 30 between the two teams. Colorado won the first meeting on Nov. 16, Time on Ice/Game Erik Johnson 26:13 as Gabriel Landeskog picked up his first career hat trick and the GWG Nathan MacKinnon 3 Avs topped the Caps 6-2. SHG Blake Comeau 2 J.T. Compher 2 Thursday, December 14 vs. Florida Panthers Goals Against Avg. Jonathan Bernier 3.05 Pepsi Center, 7 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM Save Percentage Semyon Varlamov .905 Less than a week after their first meeting of the season, Colorado hosts the Panthers to open a three-game homestand. The Avs PLAYER SPOTLIGHT came away with a 7-3 win on Saturday, getting multi-point Blake Comeau performances from five different players. Position: Left Wing Height: 6’1 Saturday, December 16 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Weight: 202 lbs. Pepsi Center, 7 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 950 AM Shoots: Right The Avalanche hosts the league’s top team on Saturday night for their second and final matchup of the season. Tampa Bay won the Born: February 18, 1986 first contest 5-2 on Thursday night. Colorado owns a 10-3-3 record Birthplace: Meadow Lake, SK at home in the all-time series against the Lightning and is 6-1-1 in the last eight at Pepsi Center. Comeau helped propel the Avalanche to back-to- back wins over the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, registering three points (1g, Monday, December 18 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 2a) in the two victories. He’s has totaled 14 points Pepsi Center, 7 p.m. MT, TV: Altitude, Radio: 92.5 The Wolf (7g, 7a) in 29 outings this season and is tied for The Avs host the defending Stanley Cup champions exactly a week the team lead with two shorthanded goals. after beating the Penguins 2-1 at PPG Paints Arena. Monday’s contest also wraps up a stretch that began on Nov. 29 that has the Avalanche playing 11 games in 20 days. QUOTABLE "I felt pretty good. Got some really good PRACTICE SCHEDULE practices as of late. I think when you do that, it allows you to just go into the game and not Day Date Location Time really think and just play." Wednesday Dec. 13 No Practice —Goaltender Jonathan Bernier following a Thursday Dec. 14 Morning skate at Pepsi Center 10:30 a.m. 39-save performance in a 2-1 win over Game #31 vs. Florida Panthers 7 p.m. Pittsburgh on Monday night Friday Dec. 15 Practice at Family Sports 11 a.m. Saturday Dec. 16 Morning Skate at Pepsi Center 10:30 a.m. Game #32 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning 7 p.m. Sunday Dec. 17 Practice at Family Sports 11 a.m. Monday Dec. 18 Morning skate at Pepsi Center 10:30 a.m. Game #33 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 7 p.m. *All practice dates/times are subject to change, all times Mountain .