Coyotes at Avalanche
THE STORY: Fans of the Colorado Avalanche are delighted the club is already racking up the wins - but they'd undoubtedly like to see more of them take place at the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche will look to appease their supporters Wednesday night as they entertain the Phoenix Coyotes. Colorado has a sensational 6-1-0 mark on the road but has just one victory in four home dates so far. That lone triumph came Sunday in a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings thanks to a third-period goal from Matt Duchene. The third-year forward has scored just twice so far this season, and he would love nothing more than to break out against a Coyotes team he has struggled against in his career. Phoenix has won two straight and is 3-0-1 in its last four games overall. More impressively, the offensively-challenged club has scored 15 goals in that span - equaling its output for the first six games of the campaign.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, Altitude.
ABOUT THE COYOTES (5-3-2): Phoenix boasts plenty of young talent, but it's a pair of greybeards who are leading the offensive onslaught. 39-year-old Ray Whitney is tops on the team with five goals, while he and 35-year-old captain Shane Doan share the lead with 10 points. Goaltender Mike Smith has emerged as a dependable No. 1 goaltender, posting a tidy 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save percentage through eight starts.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (7-4-0): With eight outings in the books, Colorado has to be pleased with the performance of Semyon Varlamov. Acquired in the offseason from the Washington Capitals, the 23-year-old has been mostly sensational despite the pressures of being an uncontested starter for the first time in his career. He has made all four starts at home and boasts a 2.28 goals-against average and .924 save percentage at the Pepsi Center.
OVERTIME:
1. Phoenix was victorious in the first three meetings between the teams last season, while the Avalanche rebounded to win the finale in a shootout. That triumph snapped the Coyotes' five-game winning streak in the overall series.
2. Colorado has won just seven of its last 30 home games dating back to the middle of last season.