The Colorado Avalanche host the NHL’s newest team, the Utah Hockey Club, at Ball Arena on Sunday evening. The game is the first ever meeting between the two clubs. The former Arizona Coyotes have had a strong start to the preseason, while the Colorado Avalanche have yet to get their first preseason win.

The game promises to be an interesting showdown as both clubs look to gain momentum as the regular season begins. With that in mind, here are three important things to keep in mind as the Colorado Avalanche take on the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday night.

Three important things to note in the preseason game between the Colorado Avalanche and Utah Hockey Club

The Colorado Avalanche have cut their preseason roster by three

The Avs announced that three players have been sent to the Colorado Eagles after participating in training camp.

First, goaltender Kevin Mandolese, who made one appearance in the preseason, will likely have the opportunity to play significant time in the AHL. While Mandolese had no problems in the Avs’ last game against the Dallas Stars, he didn’t seem to impress quite as much.

Since the goaltending tandem is largely at the NHL level, it is better for Mandolese to earn regular playing time with the Eagles.

Second, the Eagles also dealt blueliners Wyatt Aamodt and Keaton Middleton. Both players were in action this preseason, but also seemed predestined for much more regular seasons in the AHL. Hopefully all three players can have a solid season in the minors.

Fans got to see the big guns for the first time this preseason

The Avs will hopefully bring in big talent in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. The trio and other regular players have not yet seen any pre-season appearances. So it will be exciting for the fans to see the big stars at home.

All three superstars have big years ahead of them. MacKinnon will look to repeat last year’s Hart Trophy season, while Makar will look to add another Norris Trophy to his resume. Rantanen is entering the final year of his current contract. So there is a lot at stake for the Finnish winger.

Utah will be a big challenge

The Utah Hockey Club is full of young talent. The club boasts an impressive group of forwards who could potentially become one of the most enviable core teams in the league.

Therefore, Sunday night’s game will prove to be an interesting challenge for the Avs. After a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in their last game, Utah will look to get back on track. So Utah should be motivated to start the attack from the start.

Fans can expect a spirited, fast-paced game in this Western Conference game.