Kings at Avalanche
The Los Angeles Kings' roller-coaster season has provided several exhilarating highs and pronounced lows, with winning streaks of four and three games intertwined around a trio of three-game losing skids. The Kings prepare to alter the course of their current bumpy ride and avoid a season-high fourth straight loss on Tuesday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche in the finale of a five-game road trip.
Tanner Pearson scored his second goal of the trek and team-leading sixth overall in Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to Winnipeg, but has yet to record a point in five career meetings with Colorado. The Avalanche know a little something about streaks and will attempt to prevent dropping back-to-back contests for the fourth time this season. Semyon Varlamov turned in a scintillating performance with a season-high 44 saves, but a lack of offense reared its ugly head in a hard-luck 2-0 loss to Boston on Sunday. "It's frustrating that we didn't win," the 28-year-old Russian said. "It doesn't matter how you play. I'm not happy that we lost because we need the two points. That's the most important thing for us."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), Altitude (Colorado), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE KINGS (7-8-1): Although his five-game point streak went by the boards on Sunday, Jeff Carter could pick up where he left off if history is any indication. The 31-year-old has tormented Colorado in his career with a staggering 12 goals and 16 points in 17 encounters. Fellow forward and Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar is questionable to return from a one-game absence due to an upper-body injury, while goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (lower body) skated with the team on Monday and is considered day-to-day.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (6-8-0): While Varlamov earned praise from both first-year coach Jared Bednar and teammates alike, a sputtering offense that has mustered just 13 goals in 10 outings (3-7-0) remains a cause for concern. "We owe it to him (to score). Our offense is not clicking, we need more goals, we need more guys stepping up. That starts with hard work and that's something you don't need skill to do," forward Rene Bourque said. Colorado (NHL-worst 1.9 goals per contest) could be without offensive threat Matt Duchene (team-leading six goals, 11 points) as the 25-year-old is in line to miss his second straight game with a concussion.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles C Tyler Toffoli, who has been held off the scoresheet in seven of his last nine games, has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine career meetings with Colorado.
2. Avalanche RW Blake Comeau has missed four straight contests with a groin injury.
3. The Kings are 1-for-30 on the power play in their last nine games.