{"id":452533,"date":"2026-02-09T20:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T20:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/452533\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T20:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T20:55:13","slug":"colorado-avalanche-week-ahead-schedule-storylines-olympic-break-edition-the-hockey-writers-colorado-avalanche","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/452533\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Avalanche Week Ahead: Schedule & Storylines \u2013 Olympic Break Edition – The Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NHL season is officially paused for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche entered the break as one of the league\u2019s top teams (37-9-9)<\/a>, coming off a win against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 4. The focus for this week shifts entirely to the international stage, where several Avalanche stars will face off against one another.<\/p>\n

The \u201cAvalanche Civil War\u201d in Milan<\/p>\n

The must-watch game this week is the Group A showdown on Thursday, Feb. 12, when Team Canada faces Team Czechia. This is a rare opportunity to see the Avs\u2019 top offensive weapons (Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar) trying to score against their own teammate (Martin Necas).<\/p>\n

Team Canada: Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews<\/p>\n

Team Czechia: Martin Necas <\/p>\n

Team Finland:\u00a0Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Kiviranta<\/p>\n

Team Sweden:\u00a0Gabriel Landeskog<\/p>\n

Team USA:\u00a0Brock Nelson\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nathan MacKinnon\u2019s Hart Trophy Chase on Pause<\/p>\n

Nathan MacKinnon entered the break playing at an elite level. He recently became the first player to reach 40 goals this season and is sitting second in the league in points (trailing only Connor McDavid). He is a frontrunner for the Hart Trophy<\/a> (MVP). The storyline to watch is whether the Olympic intensity will keep him sharp or if the fatigue of extra games will impact his scoring pace when the NHL season resumes on Feb. 25.<\/p>\n

Roster Stability<\/p>\n

The Avalanche entered the break on a high note, beating the Detroit Red Wings (5-0) and San Jose (4-2). They have stabilized their defensive pairings with Devon Toews\u2019 return, and center Brock Nelson has provided crucial secondary scoring (including a hat trick in late January). The team is in a \u201cbuyer\u201d position as the March 6 trade deadline approaches shortly after the Olympics.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men\u2019s Hockey Tournament<\/a><\/p>\n

Avalanche Olympic Schedule This Week<\/p>\n

DateTime (ET)MatchupGroupWed, Feb 1110:40 AMFinland vs. SlovakiaGroup B3:10 PMSweden vs. ItalyGroup BThu, Feb 1210:40 AMCzechia vs. CanadaGroup A3:10 PMLatvia vs. USAGroup CFri, Feb 136:10 AMFinland vs. SwedenGroup B10:40 AMFrance vs. CzechiaGroup A3:10 PMCanada vs. SwitzerlandGroup ASat, Feb 146:10 AMSweden vs. SlovakiaGroup B10:40 AMFinland vs. ItalyGroup B3:10 PMUSA vs. DenmarkGroup CSun, Feb 156:10 AMSwitzerland vs. CzechiaGroup A10:40 AMCanada vs. FranceGroup A3:10 PMUSA vs. GermanyGroup C<\/p>\n

AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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