Avalanche return to comforts of home vs. Senators
The Colorado Avalanche had two regulation losses in the first 40 games of the season. They doubled that total in the last two games to find themselves mired in their first losing streak since late October.
After being thwarted in the Sunshine State, the Avalanche return to Denver for the next seven games at home, starting with Thursday night's matchup with the Ottawa Senators. The Avalanche have won 15 in a row on home ice where they are 17-0-2 overall, but they are facing adversity.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog and Devon Toews, who is on Colorado's top defensive pairing, are both out with upper-body injuries sustained on the just-completed three-game road trip. Both are going to "miss some time," head coach Jared Bednar said recently, and goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
The Avalanche limped home after a 4-2 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night but wouldn't blame the absences.
"No excuses with the schedule or injuries or any of that," said Brock Nelson, who had a goal in the loss to the Lightning. "We showed up ready to go each and every day. It wasn't our best, but we found a way to fight back and were in a good spot at the end of the second heading into the third. We just couldn't get it done."
Nelson has been on a roll, with 11 goals in the last 17 games and has 19 overall, tied for second on Colorado with Martin Necas.
Necas, in turn, has 53 points to trail only Nathan MacKinnon on the team. MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals with 35 and his 74 points are second to Edmonton Oilers superstar captain Connor McDavid (75).
While the Avalanche had to travel from Florida, Ottawa is playing the second of back-to-back games on Thursday night. The Senators lost 3-1 at Utah on Wednesday night to begin its quick two-game road trip.
Ottawa has struggled in net since No. 1 goaltender Linus Ullmark was granted a leave of absence for personal reasons on Dec. 27. Ullmark leads the team with 14 wins and 2.95 goals-against average.
His backup, Leevi Merilainen, played well in wins over Washington and Winnipeg but was pulled from Monday's loss to Detroit after allowing three goals on nine shots. He had 18 saves in Wednesday night's setback.
Despite the uncertainty at the position, general manager Steve Staios remains confident in the Senators' group.
"They're all good goaltenders," Staios said. "It's amazing, with the goaltending position, you can talk to any team in the league and it's under the microscope. You can have players that go through stretches that they don't have a good month, or a good 10 games or whatever it might be and obviously the focus is on goaltending. But we have full faith in the goaltending."
Offensively, Ottawa is led by Tim Stutzle with 45 points (19 goals, 26 assists), and winger Drake Batherson is second with 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists).
Dylan Cozens (12 goals, 19 assists) and Jake Sanderson (eight goals, 23 assists) are tied for third with 31 points apiece.