The Colorado Avalanche announced this morning that forward Jonathan Drouin will not play today due to an upper-body injury. Drouin's injury, according to Head Coach Jared Bednar, is not at risk of getting worse if he pushes through games.

“It’s not an injury you need to manage,” Avs coach Jared Bednar told reporters after Drouin missed practice Tuesday in Denver. “When he’s good, he’s good. We’ll push through to break as best as we can. If he can play, he can play. If he can’t, he can’t. His injury, there’s no risk of it getting worse.”

But Colorado’s NHL team has long had a reputation for being a quiet bunch in the locker room, even when this group reached the top of the mountain in 2022. The 2024-25 edition started the season slow, bogged down by injuries and poor goaltending. It weighed on everyone. A generally quiet room seemed even more so at times.

The Dallas Stars travelled to Denver, Colorado, on Saturday afternoon to take on the Colorado Avalanche. This is their second meeting this season, with the Avalanche taking the first game 5-3 in November.

The run of important games continues for the Colorado Avalanche, who welcome the Dallas Stars to Ball Arena on Saturday afternoon for a matinee affair. It comes in a run where six of eight games are against Central Division opponents,

The Colorado Avalanche (27-18-1) continue their homestand against the Dallas Stars (28-15-1) in the first of two straight matinee games. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:08 p.m. MT. READ MORE: Rantanen Extension Talks Could Pick Up Over 4 Nations Break Today’s matinee begins arguably the most important three-game stretch of the season thus far.

THROUGH GAMES OF SATURDAY, JAN. 18, 2025

The Avalanche lost 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on Thursday. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season, Logan O'Connor posted his sixth tally of the year, while Mikko Rantanen, Joel Kiviranta, Calvin de Haan, Jonathan Drouin and Devon Toews each record an assist.

The Colorado Avalanche (27-17-1) continue their homestand against the Edmonton Oilers (28-13-3). Puck drop is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. MT but could be pushed back to 7:50 p.m. since it’s the second part of a double-header on ESPN.

The Oilers will host the conclusion of the season series Feb. 7 before eight players from the respective clubs -- also including Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen (Finland), Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forward Viktor Arvidsson (Sweden) -- convene for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar had a blunt, one-word summation after his team rallied for a 3-2 overtime win against the New York Rangers, calling it “unimpressive.”