Devils at Avalanche
Colorado is the only team in the NHL that is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but the recent play of the New Jersey Devils has them on a fast track to join the Avalanche. New Jersey tries to snap an eight-game losing streak (0-6-2) which plummeted it into the Metropolitan Division cellar when it continues a three-game road trip Thursday in Colorado after getting shut out in back-to-back games by Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's not easy for us to buy (a goal) right now but I think you've got to like a lot of things we did (Tuesday),'' Devils center Travis Zajac told reporters. "I know it's disheartening not winning but the guys competed (Tuesday) and can leave the game knowing you left it out there. Saying that, we still have to improve." Colorado's fate was sealed long ago when a 9-9-0 start quickly turned into an 11-20-1 nightmare, but comes into Thursday's game off a 3-1 victory over Carolina on Tuesday after scoring twice in its previous four games. "Obviously it's been a disappointing year for us," Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie told reporters Tuesday after recording a goal and two assists. "... We're building the team to go forward for next year, too, so we want to leave with some confidence and show that we are the guys that can lead this group." New Jersey prevailed 3-2 on Valentine's Day to snap a six-game losing streak in the series, peppering Jeremy Smith with 40 shots in his NHL debut.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE DEVILS (25-29-12): New Jersey delivered a much-improved effort Tuesday with 33 shots on goal - 16 in the first period - after recording 20 on Sunday. Taylor Hall shares the team lead at 42 points with Kyle Palmieri and appeared to score his 15th goal of the season Tuesday but immediately knew it would be disallowed because he knocked it in with a high stick, leaving him with one goal in the last 13 games. Palmieri, who scored four goals in four games prior to Sunday, has a club-most 20 and is the only player on the current roster with a plus rating (plus-1).
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (18-44-3): Colorado, which is 3-11-1 in its last 15 games, is the only team in the NHL which isn't averaging at least two goals (1.94) while yielding a league-most 3.29 per game. Nathan MacKinnon (team-high 43 points) needed an empty-net goal Tuesday to snap a 15-game scoreless streak while Matt Duchene (16 goals) isn't sustaining the form that netted him a career-high 30 last season. Captain Gabe Landeskog scored twice in the last three games and has 15, but his goal total would decline for the third straight season if he doesn't reach 20.
OVERTIME
1. Devils D and captain Andy Greene missed his third straight game Tuesday following the death of his father Saturday but is expected to play Thursday.
2. Colorado was 0-for-23 on the power play in its previous 10 games before Landeskog ended the drought Tuesday.
3. New Jersey lost its last five games when allowing two goals or fewer in the previous contest.