Avalanche at Predators
With the Chicago Blackhawks having to make a push without forward Patrick Kane, the Colorado Avalanche were supposed to be in the driver's seat in the Central Division race. But the Avalanche have failed to take advantage of the absence of a key division superstar as they look to end a three-game skid Tuesday in Nashville. Colorado is coming off a 2-0 loss to red-hot Boston on Friday, while the Predators come in having won two in a row.
Losing to the Bruins is a common thing for teams these days, and Colorado coach Patrick Roy was satisfied with how his team performed against the Eastern Conference leaders. "I thought we played an outstanding game," he told reporters after the game. "I guess we have nothing to show for it right now, but I thought it was very positive." The Predators are in a fight for their playoff lives, as they trail the Phoenix Coyotes by eight points for the second wild-card spot in the West.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (44-21-6): The NHL's rookie scoring race - and with it, the battle for the Calder Trophy - appears to be Nathan MacKinnon's to lose. The 18-year-old leads all the major rookie scoring categories, including goals (23), points (54), power-play goals (eight) and game-winners (five - tied with Los Angeles' Tyler Toffoli.) If MacKinnon can fend off challenges from Tampa Bay's Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson, he'll be the first No. 1 overall pick to win the Calder since Kane in 2007-08.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (31-31-10): Nashville - and more specifically, netminder Pekka Rinne - did Colorado a major favor last time out, blanking the Blackhawks 2-0. It was a sorely needed strong performance by Rinne, who has looked mostly rusty since returning from a lengthy injury absence at the start of the month. The 31-year-old had allowed three or more goals in five of his first eight games back and was coming off a three-game stretch during which he surrendered 13 tallies.
OVERTIME
1. Colorado has won two of its three meetings with Nashville this season.
2. Rinne is 11-4-1 with a 2.03 goals-against average in 18 career games versus the Avalanche.
3. MacKinnon would be the second Colorado player in three years to win the Calder, joining captain Gabriel Landeskog (2011-12).