Avs vs Oilers: Jump Start 2015

The Avs closed out 2014 with a big and exciting win on Wednesday. Ryan O'Reilly showed up in big style with the OT winner and things were good for a change at Pepsi Center. But that was last year. Now it's 2015 and the Avs gotta string together a whole lot of wins if they want to earn back some respect in the NHL. O'Reilly showed up Wednesday and to an extent Landeskog did as well, but it looks like Roy will shake the lines up some more and break up Duchene and MacKinnon in an attempt to spark plug at least one of the struggling speedsters.

When it comes to trying to spark some offense, the Avs have the right team coming to Denver. The Oilers are dead last in the NHL in goals against. As much as the Avs are looking for a better new year, the Oilers are hoping for one even more. Gas prices are down, that means oil is cheap, and Oilers may be super cheap at the trade deadline because the Oilers are at an all-time low. With this team having drafted in the top five for so many drafts now, it's hard to say what they should do. This team should be better, so they fired their coach, and now they've only won one game in the last ten. This isn't just a must win for the Avs, it's a win to save face game.

With all that being said, the Avs can't look past the Oilers. They still have a talented roster and they've bitten the Avs in the ass before.

LINES

Tanguay-O'Reilly-Iginla

Landeskog-Duchene-Briere

Talbot-Mitchell-MacKinnon

McLeod-Cliche-Rendulic

Hejda-Johnson

Guenin-Barrie

Stuart-Holden

Varlamov

Cheerleader in goalie pads

NOTES

- Since shutting out the Montreal Canadiens at home on October 27th, the Oilers have had just three wins. Two of those wins were on the road, however.

- Apparently some Oilers fan are already looking past this year...

- The Oilers Keith Aulie has been suspended for two games.

-Taylor Hall likes to play the Avalanche. He has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 16 career games against Colorado.

GAME INFO

Game time: 7pm, MT

TV: ALT

Let's start the new year out right and get Varly to do something like this...