This Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche will drop the puck at the Air Force Acadamy when they take on the Los Angeles Kings. This will be the second outdoor game the Avs have been in since their 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2016 at Coors Field. Only 5 players were on that team that remain wearing burgundy and blue. The Avalanche have had a considerable turn around since then. In 2016, they finished 5 points out of the playoffs. Currently, they are well within the playoff race and are even considered serious cup contenders. Joe Sakic has been credited for this impressive turnaround picking up key players such as Nazem Kadri, Cale Makar, Samual Girard, and Andre Burakovsky.

The Los Angeles Kings currently sit second to last in the league. They let go of their former head coach, Willie Desjardins, at the end of last season. The Kings look to make some moves before the NHL trade deadline on February 24. The Avs may be looking to pick up additional pieces before the playoffs, with forward Vladislav Kamenev opening asking for a change of scenery. Kamenev has been stuck on the 4th line.

The Stadium Series will begin at 6 pm on Saturday and will be televised on NBC. Pre-game festivities will begin at 5:30 after a fan festival that begins at 1. Falcon Stadium will be expecting ripe outdoor hockey conditions, as it will be just above freezing at puck drop.