The Avalanche and Dallas Stars are streaking heading into Tuesday’s game at the American Airlines Center, but in different directions.
The Avalanche have gone 1-4-1 after their 7-0-1 start while Dallas is on a 6-1-0 roll after starting 1-7-1.
Coach Jared Bednar will mix up the lines a little in an attempt to find some offense, which has been lacking without injured stars Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.
Matt Nieto will be on the top unit with Nathan MacKinnon and Joonas Donskoi, which is where he was for the latter half of Saturday’s 3-0 loss in Arizona.
But Andre Burakovsky, who has no goals and one assist in the past seven games, will skate with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert. This normally would be the fourth line, but I’m calling it the third ahead of Vladislav Kamenev, Jayson Megna and Valeri Nichushkin.
Maybe this will be the night when Nichushkin, the former Stars first-round pick, will score a goal? It’s been 83 games since he last put a puck in the net, since March 4, 2016.
Yes, he did play two years in the Kontinental Hockey League before returning to the Stars last season, where in 57 games he had no goals and 10 assists. It’d be nice to see him finally get one against his ex-teammates.
As for other slumping forwards, Tyson Jost has gone six games without a point since his hat trick Oct. 19 against Tampa Bay, and J.T. Compher hasn’t scored a goal since opening night against Calgary.
They’ll be on the second line with Nazem Kadri.
Oh, the Colorado defense has combined for four goals.
MacKinnon will try to start another streak after having his 13-point run (eight goals, 10 assists) snapped against Arizona.
Philipp Grubauer will be in goal. He made 27 saves Friday in the Avalanche’s 2-1 loss to Dallas at the Pepsi Center.