Canucks at Avalanche
After snapping a two-game skid, the Vancouver Canucks look to add to the Colorado Avalanche's mounting troubles when the former Northwest Division rivals meet in Denver on Friday. Nick Bonino scored to ignite his team's three-goal third period as Vancouver skated to a 4-1 triumph over St. Louis on Thursday. Ryan Miller finished with 31 saves against his former team, but Eddie Lack is expected to get the start versus Colorado.
The Avalanche, who won the Central Division last season, have dropped four in a row (0-2-2) - with backup goaltender Reto Berra and rookie Calvin Pickard platooning over the last three. Semyon Varlamov, who is 0-2-1 this season after leading the NHL with 41 wins in 2013-14, is in line to return from a groin injury he sustained during the pregame skate last week at Ottawa.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, RSN Pacific (Vancouver), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (4-2-0): With the top line held in check, Bonino and Chris Higgins stepped up and chipped in a goal and an assist apiece to pace Vancouver on Thursday. Higgins notched a pair of assists in Vancouver's 3-1 victory over Colorado on Dec. 8 but was kept off the scoresheet in the Avalanche's wins in March and April. Jannik Hansen has tallied in consecutive contests after being held off the scoresheet in each of the first four games of the season.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (1-4-2): To add injury to insult, Colorado defenseman Ryan Wilson will be sidelined two-to-three weeks after hurting his shoulder during Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss against Florida. Zach Redmond is expected to make his Avalanche debut in his place. "He’s a player that played some games last year with Winnipeg, but he also had a really good playoff in St. John’s (of the American Hockey League) and he got our attention," coach Patrick Roy said of Redmond. "We like what we’ve seen so far with him. He’s a guy that moves the puck well, supports the rush and he’s capable of playing good defense."
OVERTIME
1. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog has recorded two of his team's three power-play goals this season. The Avalanche are 3-for-27 with the man advantage.
2. Vancouver LW Daniel Sedin saw his five-game point streak come to an end on Thursday.
3. Colorado LW Alex Tanguay has scored in three consecutive games overall and has 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 65 career meetings with the Canucks.