Utah lost 5-1 to the Colorado Avalanche Thursday in the first meeting between the recently minted Rocky Mountain rivals to close out a three-game home stand.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club returns to the Delta Center ice Thursday to face one of the hottest teams in the NHL. After dropping their first four games, Colorado has won three games in a row, while Utah is coming off their second shutout of the season with a 4-0 loss at home to Ottawa.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists for the Colorado Avalanche, who won their fourth straight game with a 5-1 victory against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center on Thursday.

Utah Hockey Club and Colorado Avalanche may take time to develop a rivalry, despite geographic proximity. Head coach André Tourigny, a former Nordiques fan, holds no animosity towards the Avalanche, having coached in Colorado. The first game between the teams was one-sided, with Colorado winning 5-1, indicating rivalry development may be gradual.

In hopes of growing the sport throughout the state, the Utah Hockey Club unveiled several programs aimed at introducing the game to kids and engaging them on the ice for years to come.

It was an eight-minute blitz from which the Utah Hockey Club could not receover. Anton Forsberg made 31 saves, Drake Batherson scored his third goal in two games and the Ottawa Senators won their first road game of the season,

The Ottawa Senators head to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Hockey Club. Below we will continue our NHL odds series as we hand out a Senators-Utah Hockey Club prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.

Cale Makar and Clayton Keller are two of the top players to watch when the Colorado Avalanche meet the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center on Thursday, October 24 at 9:00 PM ET. See below to read more about Avalanche vs.