Colorado Avalanche make Ball Arena season debut

What to watch: Star center Nathan MacKinnon will again lead Colorado, a franchise chasing a deep playoff run after three seasons of sputtering before the second round.

• MacKinnon, the league's MVP two seasons ago, is nearing 500 points over four seasons — a pace that would set a club record, per the Denver Post.

Threat level: The team hasn't made it to the conference finals since their 2021–22 Stanley Cup-winning season.

Context: Alongside MacKinnon, defenseman Cale Makar and winger Gabe Landeskog — back for his full first season since 2021–22 — will again anchor a Colorado team hungry to make some noise this season.

• Backup goalie Scott Wedgewood will handle starting duties in place of the injured Mackenzie Blackwood, who's out indefinitely.

The intrigue: The Avs face a Mammoth squad that last season tied second in the NHL for most fights — 30 — though Colorado is no stranger to icy brawls.

If you go: Tickets for Thursday's game start at $61 on Ticketmaster.

• You can also catch the action locally on Altitude Sports.