Tampa Bay has the opposite problem. The Lightning last played on the weekend, a 4-2 home win over Vancouver, so they will have had close to a week off before puck drop at 7:00 PM MT. That much rest helps a team that just played 3 of its last 5 at home. It also means a flight to Denver and a first shift at altitude after a long layoff, which is not how most teams want to come back.
Hagel has been the reason the Lightning keep winning these games. He scored twice in the 4-3 overtime win over Seattle and had 5 goals over a 3-game stretch. Victor Hedman won that game in overtime, his first goal since February 28. Dominic James also returned against Seattle after missing a couple of weeks with a broken hand, so Tampa Bay's depth is filling back in. The only loss in the last 5 was a flat 4-1 night at Madison Square Garden. Otherwise this is a team that keeps finding a way in 1-goal games, which is exactly where Colorado keeps coming up short.
The biggest name on Colorado's side is Logan O'Connor. Altitude TV reported that he is slated to make his season debut Friday against Tampa Bay. He has not dressed yet this season: he had a preseason lower-body injury and then took personal leave after his father died earlier this month. With Nicolas Roy and Zachary L'Heureux both out and Georgii Merkulov on non-roster IR, the Avalanche have had to call up help, Gavin Brindley among them. O'Connor won't fix the roster himself, but a healthy right wing who kills penalties and finishes checks is what a thin forward group has been missing.
So the game comes down to whether Colorado's close losses start turning into wins at home, or whether Tampa Bay's knack for winning tight games carries over against a deeper opponent than Seattle or Vancouver. The Lightning are without Yanni Gourde (hip) and have been fine. The Avalanche are without much more and have been close. Expect another 1-goal game.