Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings: 5 players to watch

As the Detroit Red Wings road trip comes to a close they will have another tough match-up against the Colorado Avalanche.

Here are five players to watch during Sunday afternoon’s game.

#5 Henrik Zetterberg

The Red Wings captain is closing in on catching Dylan Larkin for the team lead in points. He has three points during this road trip and has stepped up to aid the Red Wings struggling offense. If there’s one player who can help keep the Wings win this game then it’s Zetterberg.

#4 Mikko Rantanen

Rantanen is having a massive season for the Avalanche. In 70 games played he has 75 points with 25 goals and 50 assists. His numbers from last season pale in comparison to what he has been able to do this time around.

With a five-game point streak under his belt, he will be a hard player to stop. Rantanen will have to be one of the Red Wings top priorities on defense. His 11 points in his last five games speak volume to what he can do for the Avalanche.

#3 Gustav Nyquist

Perhaps one of the better players on this trip, Nyquist has four points in his last three games. He will be looking to make it a fourth straight game with at least a point. A quick look at the Avalanche’s recent scorelines will show that Nyquist needs to continue his goal scoring ways as the Red Wings could potentially need a lot of goals if they want to win this one.

#2 Tyson Barrie

The Avalanche have had some impressive scoring streaks as of late and one of those players who has been hot is Barrie. Entering this game he holds a nine-game point streak as he leads the Avalanche’s defenseman in scoring. If the Avalanche’s forwards struggle to find points then they have Barrie to look to.

#1 Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon has been a dominant player offensively for the Avalanche all season long. He has an 11 game point streak he will be looking to continue as he closes in on a 100 point season. In total, he has been able to produce 21 points during this 11 game stretch.

Next: Avalanche vs. Red Wings Preview and HTW

In November, he scored the game-winning goal against the Red Wings in overtime. MacKinnon is having the best season of his career and the Wings could be in for a long afternoon if they don’t limit his opportunities to create and finish plays.