Colorado Avalanche v Calgary Flames Live

Before the start of the season, very few expected the Avalanche to be in the playoff race in 2009-10. However, Colorado got off to a great start and turned out to be the best team in the league so far with an impressive 8-1-2 record. Thus, Paul Stastny and company will make their way to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome on Thursday at 1:30 a.m. GMT.

Coming off three straight wins versus the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Edmonton Oilers, the Flames made it back to the upper echelon of the Western Conference after experiencing a three-game losing streak in the second week of play. At 4.1 goals per game, Calgary has proven to be among the best offensive teams in the league despite losing their leading scorer Mike Cammalleri during the off-season. Unlike other teams, the Flames’ offense is difficult to contain since they do not rely on a few selected stars, but have four very capable offensive lines. That said, Rene Bourque was able to separate himself from the pack as he scored 5 goals and 14 points in 10 appearances thus far.

In contrast, the Colorado Avalanche had very little to complain about in the first month of play. While they had no problems finding the net at 3.4 goals per contest, they also played with a lot of energy at the other end of the ice and held their opponents to just 26 goals in 11 games. Likewise, goaltender Craig Anderson had an impressive run and posted a .936 save percentage while averaging 2.14 goals per contest. Offensively, Wojtek Wolski, Paul Stastny and Ryan O’Reilly led the Avalanche with 10 points each.

At first glance it might seem like Colorado would be entering their encounter with the Flames as the favorites to secure a victory, but things might not be that easy for Paul Stastny and company. More specifically, it remains to be seen whether the Avalanche will be able to keep up their extremely highly level of play throughout the season since their roster does not look much better on paper than the squads of other playoff teams. That said, the Flames will have to improve defensively and continue to share the puck if they want to prevent Colorado from stealing one on the road.

You can watch all games of the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames right here on www.watchlivenhl.com, the home of NHL live streaming.