Avalanche at Predators
The Colorado Avalanche are in a major tailspin on and off the ice as they prepare to kick off a four-game road trip with a visit to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. Riding a five-game losing streak, the Avalanche own the fewest points in the NHL with 19 after stumbling through a disastrous 0-4-1 homestand.
"Just playing horrible hockey," Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon said. "It starts with us key guys. All of us need to be better." With captain Gabriel Landeskog already, the Avalanche absorbed another costly injury when defenseman Erik Johnson suffered a broken leg in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Dallas. The Predators were among the hottest teams in the league in November, going 9-3-2, a stretch began and ended with a pair of wins in Colorado by scores of 5-1 and 5-3. Nashville, though, has stumbled at the outset of December, coughing up a three-goal, third-period lead in an overtime loss to New Jersey on Saturday before falling to visiting Philadelphia 4-2 one day later.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TVA, Altitude (Colorado), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (9-13-1): Landeskog (lower body) practiced Monday wearing a non-contact jersey and will accompany the team on the road trip, but coach Jared Bednar told the Denver Post that his captain will miss his ninth consecutive game on Tuesday. The Avalanche have failed to score more than three goals since Landeskog was hurt and now will be without Johnson for six to eight weeks. Defenseman Cody Goloubef, recently acquired from Columbus, was called up from San Antonio of the American Hockey League.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (11-9-4): Sunday's loss was the first regulation defeat at home for Nashville since Oct. 18 and marked the first time it has dropped back-to-back games at Bridgestone Arena this season. The Predators surrendered three power-play goals in the two weekend losses after permitting only once with the man advantage in 14 games last month. Craig Smith has netted only one in his last 14 games, but he scored twice at Colorado on Nov. 1 and has 10 tallies in 22 career games against the Avalanche.
OVERTIME
1. Avalanche D Fedor Tyutin (lower body) sat out Saturday's game and is looming as a game-time decision.
2. Predators C Ryan Johansen has a goal and an assist in each of the wins against the Avalanche this season.
3. Colorado has failed to score more than three goals in 18 of its last 19 games.