Last season: 50-25-7, lost to Dallas in the second round of playoffs.
COACH: Jared Bednar (341-217-60 over 8 seasons, 1 Stanley Cup title).
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Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor responds to questions during a news conference to announce that he signed a six-year contract extension with the hockey club Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen makes a save against the Dallas Stars in the first period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon waits for play to resume in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar warms up for the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Monday, May 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, left, collects the puck with Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry, right, in pursuit in the second period of Game 4 of an NHL Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collects the puck in the third period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 9 at Vegas.
DEPARTURES: F Andrew Cogliano, F Brandon Duhaime, G Pavel Francouz, D Caleb Jones, F Zach Parise, F Yakov Trenin, D Sean Walker.
ADDITIONS: D Erik Brannstrom, D Calvin de Haan, F Parker Kelly, D Oliver Kylington, D Calle Rosén.
GOALIES: Alexandar Georgiev (38-18-5, 3.02 goals-against average, 0.897 save percentage), Justus Annunen (8-4-1, 2.25, 0.928).
BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 11-1.
The Colorado Avalanche figure to look a whole lot different later in the season. They are without captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) and Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) for an undetermined amount of time. But they could have back Valeri Nichushkin from suspension in mid-November. League MVP Nathan MacKinnon, defenseman Cale Makar and forward Mikko Rantanen will be counted on to keep the team afloat until the cast reunites. There are no guarantees with Landeskog, who's missed the last two seasons. Nichushkin went missing in the middle of a playoff series for a second straight postseason due to circumstances away from the ice. MacKinnon is coming off career highs in goals (51), assists (89) and shots (405). Georgiev led the NHL with 38 wins. Makar finished with 90 points, the most by an Avalanche defenseman in a season single in franchise history. Rantanen set a career high with 62 assists while averaging nearly 23 minutes of ice time.
The good: Colorado’s big-name players — MacKinnon, Makar and Rantanen — are all coming off banner seasons. Nichushkin will be a big lift whenever he returns after a career year that included 28 goals, 53 points and six game-winning scores. MacKinnon was nearly unstoppable at home, recording at least a point in each of Colorado’s first 35 home games. Only Wayne Gretzky had a longer run at home in a single season (40 in 1988-89).
The not-so-good: The concerns over Nichushkin. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced his suspension about an hour before the start of the Avalanche’s 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on May 13 that left them trailing 3-1 in the second-round series. “Time heals all wounds,” Bednar said. Some feelings may need to be soothed once Nichushkin rejoins the team.
Jonathan Drouin returned for another season after turning in a year that saw him finish with a career-best 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists). He's reunited with MacKinnon, his good friend, to rekindle the scoring chemistry from their days with the Halifax Mooseheads, where they captured a Memorial Cup in 2012-13. Logan O’Connor had a career-best 13 goals despite being limited to 57 games and undergoing hip surgery in March. He recently signed a six-year contract extension.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Colorado Avalanche right wing Logan O'Connor responds to questions during a news conference to announce that he signed a six-year contract extension with the hockey club Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen makes a save against the Dallas Stars in the first period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon waits for play to resume in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar warms up for the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Monday, May 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, left, collects the puck with Winnipeg Jets center Adam Lowry, right, in pursuit in the second period of Game 4 of an NHL Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
FILE - Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collects the puck in the third period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey playoff series Friday, May 17, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
MILAN (AP) — AC Milan rang the changes and was reduced to 10 men and still beat Udinese 1-0 in Serie A on Saturday.
Theo Hernández was suspended and Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Rafael Leão were dropped by Milan. The Rossoneri’s task became harder when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was shown a straight red card in the 29th minute.
Fortunately for Milan, Samuel Chukwueze earned the lead in the 13th minute following yet another assist by Christian Pulisic. They held on after Udinese had two goals ruled out for offside, including one deep in stoppage time.
The Rossoneri moved level on points with third-placed Inter Milan, which plays at Roma on Sunday. Juventus moved two points above them after managing to scrape a late 1-0 win over 10-man Lazio.
Milan lost at Fiorentina 2-1 before the international break in a match in which Hernández and Abraham had penalty kicks saved. Hernández was sent off after the final whistle for insulting the referee and given a two-match ban.
The radically changed Rossoneri started brightly against Udinese and took the lead when Noah Okafor muscled his way down the left flank and rolled it across for Pulisic, who set up Chukwueze to sweep it into the far bottom corner.
Pulisic has been involved in at least one goal in seven straight league matches; producing five goals and three assists.
Milan was dominating until Reijnders was sent off for catching Sandi Lovric’s heel and tripping him as the Udinese midfielder ran clear on goal.
Kingsley Ehizibue thought he headed Udinese level on the stroke of halftime but he was offside by the tightest of margins.
Pulisic came close to doubling Milan’s lead in the 75th but his effort was saved by Maduka Okoye. Abraham, who had come on only three minutes earlier, injured his shoulder as he tried to bundle in the rebound and had to be taken off.
Udinese appeared to level again when Christian Kabasele headed in a rebound in the fifth minute of stoppage time. However, VAR ruled another tight offside decision in the chaotic buildup.
Lazio managed to hold out for more than an hour with 10 men before an own goal consigned it to defeat.
Defender Alessio Romagnoli was issued a straight red card in the 24th for a tackle on Juve's Pierre Kalulu when he was clear on goal.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Juventus didn't have a shot on target until the 81st when Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel parried a curled Dusan Vlahovic effort.
The home side was gifted the winning goal four minutes later when Lazio defender Mario Gila tried to intercept a cross from Juan Cabal and succeeded only in turning it into his own net.
Vlahovic had also earlier hit the crossbar in one of Juve's few sights of goal.
A second-half double from Andrea Pinamonti saw Genoa come back from two goals down to draw with Bologna 2-2.
Bologna, which faces Aston Villa in the Champions League midweek, thought it was heading for what would have been only its second win after goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard.
But Pinamonti curled into the far bottom corner in the 73rd and headed in a free kick 12 minutes later.
Como drew with Parma 1-1 in a match between promoted sides.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
CORRECTS DAY - Juventus' head coach Thiago Motta at the Serie A soccer match against Lazio, at the Allianz Stadium in Torino, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
CORRECTS DAY- Lazio's Patric, left, vies for the ball with Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic during the Serie A soccer match at the Allianz Stadium in Torino, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
CORRECTS DAY - Lazio's Alessio Romagnoli is issued a red card during the Serie A soccer match against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Torino, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
THE GOAL WAS DISALLOWED - Udinese's Christian Kabasele, right, celebrates after scoring a disallowed goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Tammy Abraham reacts leaving the pitch after an injury during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, left, and Udinese's Iker Bravo challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders leaves the pitch after receiving the red card during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze, second from left, celebrates with Christian Pulisic, left, after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze, background centre, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
THE GOAL WAS DISALLOWED Udinese's Christian Kabasele, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a disallowed goal during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze, left, and Udinese's Jordan Zemura challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Udinese at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
