Avalanche at Blues
Mired in their worst slump of the season, the St. Louis Blues attempt to snap a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night. The Blues also have a chance to avenge their most lopsided defeat of the campaign, a 5-0 setback at Colorado last Tuesday in the finale of a three-game road trip. St. Louis has been allowing goals in buckets, surrendering 18 tallies during the four-game skid.
The Avalanche had a season-high three-game winning streak halted in a 5-2 home loss to Chicago on Saturday night, allowing four unanswered goals after taking an early one-goal lead. Even though the loss halted a six-game point string for Colorado, the players were not unhappy with the performance. "We didn't play a bad hockey game," forward Matt Duchene said. "We played hard. They are a playoff hockey team. ... I think there were a lot of good things in our game."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (13-14-8): Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson is living up to the enormous potential that led the Blues to select him with the top overall pick in the 2006 draft. Johnson is riding a four-game goal-scoring streak and has six tallies in his last six to match his career-high total of 10 from his second season with St. Louis (2009-10). “Last year, I think he brought his game to another level and this year is even better," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "It’s amazing how much more confidence he’s playing with since last year."
ABOUT THE BLUES (21-11-3): Rookie Jake Allen has faltered since starting netminder Brian Elliott was injured in late November, permitting at least three goals in six of his last eight starts. While Martin Brodeur will get the start against the Avalanche, St. Louis' long-term prognosis brightened when Elliott practiced on Sunday and could be back in the lineup this week. “Our hope is that he’s ready here in the next couple of days,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We’re hopeful ... that he feels good and he’s up and running and ready to go.”
OVERTIME
1. Johnson is tied with Calgary's Mark Giordano and Dennis Wideman and San Jose's Brent Burns for the league lead in goals among defensemen.
2. St. Louis has allowed a power-play tally in six consecutive games.
3. While Brodeur seeks his NHL-record 691st win, Colorado demoted rookie G Calvin Pickard to Lake Erie of the American Hockey League.