Can the Avalanche put a stop to the white-hot Golden Knights on Friday in Las Vegas?
The first-year Knights have won four games in a row and are off to a 7-1-0 start, the best ever for an NHL expansion team.
Here are the GAME NOTES.
The Avalanche have played plenty of times in Las Vegas, but this will be their first in regular-season play.
"We are going there to win a hockey game," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "That is what we are focused on. Come back with two points from Vegas and then make sure that we are ready for Chicago on Saturday."
This will be the Avalanche's second back-to-back set of the young season. They defeated Anaheim 3-1 at home on Oct. 13 and lost the next night in Dallas by the same score.
They are coming off a 5-3 win against Dallas to end a three-game losing streak and move to 5-4-0 on the year.
The Avalanche need more production from first-line forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who each has one goal. Also, Nail Yakupov has gone five games without a point.
Coach Jared Bednar is generally pleased with how the team has played the first nine games.
"I think if you look at the losses that we have, we were not at our best at all those games, at least not for 60 minutes," he said. "The games we came out and played real hard for the first 40 minutes kind of set us up for success in the third period. Even the last game, when we didn't have a great third period, that kind of carried us through.
"I've liked our work ethic, I've liked the way our team has come together on and off the ice. I think they're enjoying one another. We have a tight-knit group this year, so that's good. A lot of positives from it. Obviously, there are areas to improve. Our consistency has to improve."
Neither team had a morning skate because of the 3 p.m. PT start on Nevada Day, a state holiday to commemorate its admission into the Union in 1864.
Semyon Varlamov will start, and I assume he'll play again Saturday against the Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center. The Hawks play Friday night, taking on Nashville at home.
"I think when we are playing well we are doing a lot of good things, but we have to have that effort more often," Matt Duchene said. "We are too up and down right now. I think of our five wins, I think Varly stole us one (opening night against the Rangers) and I think the rest of them we did a really good job. He has still been facing too many shots. I mean, 37 last game, that is too many." Here's the lineup, the only question being whether Nikita Zadorov will be a healthy scratch:
FORWARDS Sven Andrighetto -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen Gabriel Landeskog -- Matt Duchene -- Nail Yakupov A.J. Greer -- Alexander Kerfoot -- Gabriel Bourque Matt Nieto -- Carl Soderberg -- Blake Comeau
DEFENSE Nikita Zadorov/Anton Lindholm -- Erik Johnson Patrik Nemeth -- Tyson Barrie Mark Barberio -- Chris Bigras
GOALIES Semyon Varlamov Jonathan Bernier