Blackhawks at Avalanche
The league-leading Chicago Blackhawks will have revenge on their minds when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Chicago returns to the site where it had its NHL-record, season-opening 24-game point streak halted on March 8. After edging Colorado 3-2 at home two days earlier, the Blackhawks opened the scoring in the back end of the home-and-home series before allowing five consecutive goals en route to their first regulation loss of the season - a 6-2 setback in which Matt Duchene recorded a goal and three assists.
The defeat also ended Chicago's franchise-record 11-game winning streak, as well as its 30-game point streak dating back to last season. The Blackhawks fell five games shy of matching the NHL record set by the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers. Colorado followed the upset victory with an overtime win over the San Jose Sharks as Duchene scored with two-tenths of a second remaining in the extra session. But the Avalanche have dropped three straight since, including a home-and-home set with the Minnesota Wild that concluded with a 6-4 home setback on Saturday.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), Altitude2 (Colorado)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (23-2-3): Chicago is perfect midway through its four-game road trip. Two days after knocking off the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets in a shootout, the Blackhawks put on its best offensive performance of the season on Saturday as they scored the game's first seven goals en route to an 8-1 victory over Dallas. Eight players recorded multi-point performances, with five registering three points. Left wing Patrick Sharp has missed four games since suffering an apparent shoulder injury in the March 6 victory over Colorado and is expected to be sidelined a few more weeks.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (10-13-4): Defense has been a major problem during Colorado's losing streak. The team has allowed 15 goals in the three setbacks while scoring seven. Prior to the skid, the Avalanche surrendered two tallies in four of five contests. Duchene has been an offensive force, recording five goals and six assists over his last six games. PA Parenteau also has been a major contributor, collecting four tallies and 13 points in nine contests. Parenteau has not gone two straight games without a point this season.
OVERTIME
1. Despite missing time, Sharp is fourth on the team in scoring with 18 points and tied for second with 13 assists.
2. The Avalanche have won four of the last five meetings between the teams - both overall and in Colorado.
3. Colorado concludes its three-game homestand against the Stars on Wednesday before visiting Dallas three nights later.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 5, Avalanche 2