Mikko Rantanen is looking forward to playing against fellow Finnish countryman
Patrik Laine on Friday when the Avalanche (3-2-0) meet Winnipeg (3-4-0) at the Pepsi Center.
"I hope I can get a couple hits on him," Rantanen said with a laugh after the morning skate. "It's going to be fun."
The Jets didn't have a morning skate after arriving in Denver early Friday morning following their 4-1 home win against Dallas on Thursday. They will be playing their fourth game in six nights while the Avalanche haven't played since Saturday's 5-2 loss in Florida.
Here are the
GAME NOTES.
Rantanen and Laine, both first-round draft picks, are good friends and trained together in the summer.
Rantanen, who turns 20 on Saturday, is a 6-feet-4, 211-pound right wing who will play his first Avalanche game this season after missing all six preseason games to recover from an ankle injury. The Avalanche's first-round pick (No. 10) in 2015, Rantanen began the season with AHL San Antonio and had two assists in four games.
Laine, 18, is a 6-5, 206-pound forward who has six goals and two assists in seven games with the Jets. He was Winnipeg's first pick (No. 2) in June.
"I trained with him all summer, so he's a good buddy of mine, a good guy," Rantanen said. "I think everybody knew he could play at this level, and he has shown that. He has a terrific shot."
Rantanen was the AHL's co-Rookie of the Year last season after he had 24 goals and 36 assists in 52 games with the Rampage. He didn't have a point in nine games last year with the Avalanche while being used mostly on the fourth line.
"I'm excited, have some butterflires, but that's how it should be," said Rantanen, who will play on a line with
Mikhail Grigorenko and
Nathan MacKinnon. "I had those nine games last year, so I know a little bit about how it is."
Semyon Varlamov will start in goal for the Avalanche, with
Calvin Pickard scheduled to start Saturday in Arizona.
John Mitchell will make his season debut after recovering from a hip injury.
Rene Bourque will return after missing the past two games with a groin injury.
Michael Hutchinson is scheduled to start in goal for the Jets.
Here's the Avalanche lineup:
FORWARDS
Gabriel Landeskog -- Matt Duchene -- Jarome Iginla
Mikhail Grigorenko -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Rene Bourque -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
Andreas Martinsen -- John Mitchell -- Joe Colborne
DEFENSE
Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Johnson
Francois Beauchemin -- Tyson Barrie
Eric Gelinas -- Patrick Wiercioch
GOALIES
Semyon Varlamov
Calvin Pickard
Scratched: Gabriel Bourque, Cody McLeod
Injured: Fedor Tyutin (groin)
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
Join the Discussion:
»