Preview: Colorado at Arizona
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, November 5, 2015
Where: Gila River Arena, Glendale, Arizona
The Colorado Avalanche look to build off a rare offensive outburst when they visit the struggling Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. Colorado, which begins a stretch of eight road games in its next nine, posted a season-high 42 shots on goal in a 6-3 triumph against Calgary at home on Tuesday after losing six of its previous seven contests (1-5-1).
“We kept our game pretty simple,” Avalanche coach Patrick Roy told reporters after Tuesday’s victory. “That’s the type of effort we wanted.” Nathan MacKinnon has six points in the last four games and veteran Jarome Iginla boasts three goals in the past two contests going into a battle with Arizona, which has surrendered 10 tallies in two games and is 2-5-1 since a 3-0-0 start. Go to A1serviceplays.com Martin Hanzal (10 assists) returned after missing two games with an injury in the 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Friday and fellow center Antoine Vermette was back in the lineup after sitting for three, but is questionable with a lower-body injury for Thursday. Rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair lead the Coyotes with five goals apiece.
TV: 9 p.m., ET, Altitude2 (Colorado), FSN Arizona
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (4-7-1): The power play has perked up a bit over the last two games while going 3-for-7 after it converted two of 32 opportunities the previous seven contests. Matt Duchene scored twice against Calgary after managing one in the first 11 games of the campaign and captain Gabriel Landeskog has recorded five points in his last five outings. Forward John Mitchell (four goals) is day-to-day with an oblique injury and 20-year-old defenseman Nikita Zadorov was a healthy scratch in the last two games.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (5-5-1): Mike Smith was outstanding to open the season when he gave up two goals total in three straight victories, but has allowed 25 tallies in the last seven games – two of them partial outings. Smith was pulled after giving up two goals on three shots in the loss to Vancouver and Arizona battled back within one twice before losing its second straight. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has not scored a goal since the season opener, but has posted four assists in his last four contests.
OVERTIME
1. Arizona LW Mikkel Boedker has registered six points in the last four games after managing two in the first seven.
2. Colorado D Francois Beauchemin was third in the league in blocked shots with 36 going into Wednesday’s games.
3. The Avalanche have won six of the last seven meetings, including all three in 2014-15.
PREDICTION: Coyotes 4, Avalanche 2