Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen will play his 12th career NHL game Tuesday night against Nashville at the Pepsi Center — and his third this season after returning last week from a rehab stint with the San Antonio Rampage.
The young Finn, who suffered an ankle injury Sept. 17 and didn’t play in any exhibition games, still is looking for his first NHL goal.
“I don’t really think about it,” Rantanen said Tuesday after the morning skate. “I just try and play the game and enjoy. I know it’s coming and I have to keep going. We have had good chances, myself too, a couple of chances to get the first one. I’m still waiting, so I just have to stay on it and work hard.”
Rantanen, who turned 20 Saturday, is playing right wing on Nathan MacKinnon’s line, with Mikhail Grigorenko — who was impressive at center during the exhibition season — on the left side.
“I think we have a good chemistry and we find more and more as the game goes on,” Rantanen said. “It’s a big respect to be there (in the top six), but you have to keep working to stay there. I feel really good when I’m playing now, more confident than I did last year.”
Said Avalanche coach Jared Bednar: “I think he’s managed the game pretty well. His first couple of contests, he’s been good. He’s been skating, creating chances. I’m not really worried about him scoring that goal. If he continues to play and play smart, he’s creating opportunities, he’s part of our attack all the time and it will come for him.”
The Avalanche (4-3) is in the midst of a quirky home-and-away alternating schedule stretch that included a 1-0 loss at home to Winnipeg Friday and a 3-2 win at Arizona Saturday. After the game against the Predators, Colorado is at Chicago Thursday, at home against Minnesota Saturday and at St. Louis Sunday.
Winger Cody McLeod and defenseman Fedor Tyutin will be the scratches against the struggling Predators (2-5-1). Tyutin has missed three games with a groin injury, but Bednar said he could have played if necessary Tuesday night.
“I think he’s probably ready to go,” Bednar said. “He’s been off the ice for quite some time. We’re just looking back at the last couple of games with the way our D corps has played and we’re going to give him some more skates before we put him in the game.”
With Tyutin out, Bednar tinkered more his pairings the last two games, leaving Erik Johnson with Nikita Zadorov, but Tyson Barrie has been with Patrick Wiercioch and Francois Beauchemin with Eric Gelinas.
“It’s such a small sample size, but I like the say our D partners played the last couple of games,” Bednar said. “I like the way our team played the last couple of games, so I don’t want to rush (Tyutin) back from injury after only skating one time.”
