[Dallas Stars News]

In the third and perhaps last season of the NHL's much-criticized post-lockout scheduling format, wunderkind Sidney Crosby - the league's reigning MVP who turns 20 in August - and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Avalanche in Denver on Nov. 1, and Chris Drury will return to the Pepsi Center with the New York Rangers on Dec. 21.

Those are two of the highlights of the Avalanche's 2007-08 schedule, which was released Wednesday.

The Atlantic Division's Penguins, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers (Dec. 7), New York Islanders (Jan. 5), and New Jersey Devils (March 15) will be the only Eastern Conference teams to appear at the Pepsi Center, while the Avalanche will have road games against the Southeast Division: Washington (Jan. 9), Carolina (Jan. 12), Florida (Jan. 13) and Tampa Bay (Jan. 15) on a single trip before journeying to Atlanta on March 11.

Beyond that, the schedule looks largely familiar under the format that will have the Avalanche facing Northwest Division rivals Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Minnesota eight times, and the other Western Conference teams four times. The only major departure from the past couple of seasons is the Avalanche won't play any back-to-back games at the same site with divisional opponents.

Colorado opens at home Oct. 3 against the Dallas Stars and is at Nashville the next night to face the Predators.

The Denver Post - Avs open with Stars, host Crosby

[Lefty Noob]

Date Opponent Result
Oct 3 vs Dallas W 4-3 Highlights
Oct 4 at Nashville L 0-4 Highlights
Oct 7 vs San Jose W 6-2 Highlights
Oct 12 at St. Louis L 1-4 Highlights
Oct 13 vs Columbus W 5-1 Highlights

Date Opponent Time Tickets TV
Oct 16 vs Calgary 9:00 pm Buy Tickets RSW, ALT
Oct 19 at Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ALT
Oct 21 at Minnesota 6:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT, FSNO
Oct 23 at Edmonton 9:30 pm Buy Tickets TSN, ALT
Oct 26 at Calgary 9:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT, RSW
Oct 28 vs Minnesota 8:00 pm Buy Tickets FSNO, ALT
Nov 1 vs Pittsburgh 9:00 pm Buy Tickets FSPI, ALT
Nov 3 vs Vancouver 10:00 pm Buy Tickets CBC, ALT
Nov 5 vs Calgary 9:00 pm Buy Tickets FPPV, ALT
Nov 7 vs Edmonton 9:30 pm Buy Tickets TSN, ALT
Nov 9 at Vancouver 10:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT, RSW
Nov 11 vs Minnesota 8:00 pm Buy Tickets FSNO, ALT
Nov 16 at Dallas 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ALT, FSSW
Nov 18 at Minnesota 6:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT
Nov 20 at Calgary 9:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT2, FPPV
Nov 22 at Edmonton 9:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT, OPPV
Nov 24 vs Calgary 10:00 pm Buy Tickets ALT2
Nov 28 vs Edmonton 9:00 pm Buy Tickets RSW, ALT
Nov 30 at San Jose 10:30 pm Buy Tickets ALT2, FSBA

full schedule - Colorado Avalanche - Schedule - NHL - Yahoo! Sports