Blue Jackets at Avalanche
The Columbus Blue Jackets try for consecutive victories for the first time since Dec. 8-9 when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Columbus, which has won four straight in Denver, is 6-7-2 in its last 15 games after Tuesday's come-from-behind, 2-1 victory at Dallas moved them within four points of first-place Washington in the crowded Metropolitan Division.
“It’s huge. Once you start losing a few games, you want to come back and win a game,” the Blue Jackets' Oliver Bjorkstrand told reporters after scoring twice 1:18 apart in the third period Tuesday. “I feel like we were ready to play and played the right way. ...” Colorado has won three straight at home and is 3-1-0 on its six-game homestand after Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory over Winnipeg. "We understand the importance of the homestretch we have been on and, like we talked about, we have to make sure that we take advantage of that because there is going to come a time where we are going to have to go on the road and do the same thing,'' Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters. Tuesday's win came with a cost, however, as goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who played only 24 games last season because of a groin injury, left in the second period with a lower-body ailment.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Columbus), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (23-15-3): Sergei Bobrovsky (19-11-3, 2.44 goals-against average, .919 save percentage) shook off a mini-slump (nine goals allowed in two games) by making 21 saves to earn his 200th career victory Tuesday, telling reporters: “We played as one fist, one unit. ...'' Artemi Panarin, who in December tied club records for assists (13) and points (18) in a month, boasts team highs of 24 assists and 34 points. Josh Anderson (club-best 14 goals) has scored only once in the last seven games while Zach Werenski is second on the team and leads NHL defensemen with 11 tallies.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (20-16-3): The top line centered by Nathan MacKinnon continues to produce as left wing Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists Tuesday while MacKinnon added a goal and an assist, and along with Gabriel Landeskog has produced seven goals and 18 points in the last four games. Jonathan Bernier (7-7-1, 3.15 GAA, .898 SP) picked up the victory in relief Tuesday and was 2-1-1 in four straight starts in November when Varlamov was ill. Defenseman Erik Johnson has scored in each of the last two games, including in overtime Tuesday, and is plus-5 in his last three games and plus-1 for the season.
OVERTIME
1. Bobrovsky is 4-1-1, 2.42, .909 versus Colorado.
2. Colorado had its streak of killing penalties end at 36 on Tuesday, the second-longest run in franchise history. The Avalanche have the NHL's top penalty-killing unit at home at 92.5 percent.
3. The last four meetings have been decided by one goal, with Columbus winning three of those encounters.