Except for Nathan MacKinnon, who has gone to Tampa for this weekend's NHL All-Star festivities, the Avalanche headed home for a three-day break that is coming at an opportune time.
They go into the break having lost two games in a row after putting together a 10-game winning streak, the second longest in franchise history, and they've moved into the second wild card playoff position in the Western Conference.
Thirty-four games remain in the regular season for the Avalanche (27-18-3), 19 on the road where they're 9-11-2, and 15 at home where they're 18-7-1.
They'll resume play Tuesday in Vancouver to open a three-game road trip that includes games in Edmonton and Winnipeg, come home for a game against San Jose, and head back on the road for a three-game trip to St. Louis, Carolina and Buffalo.
Four of six games after that also will be played on the road to complete a stretch (including the just-completed three-game trip) in which they will have played 13 of 16 games away from the Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche do have a game or two in hand on teams they are trying to catch in an attempt to ensure a playoff position, but they can't afford to hit any kind of significant slump.
Getting healthier will help.
"We've been waiting on a handful of guys that have been day-to-day for quite some time, and just waiting for the day when they get the OK to go," coach Jared Bednar said. "It just hasn't come for us. Five, six guys, it is a lot of guys. Some guys are getting opportunities and stepping up, but now is a good time for the break and to decompress."
Defenseman Tyson Barrie should be on the verge of returning. He was expected to miss 4-6 weeks after sustaining a broken hand Dec. 23 against Arizona, and it's been five weeks.
The Avalanche could use Barrie on a power play that hit a rut the past four games. They didn't have many chances, going 0-for-7 -- 0-for-6 in the two losses.
Speaking of special teams, the penalty killing also took a dip the past four games. The Avalanche allowed four goals in 11 shorthanded situations -- three goals in seven shorthanded situations in the two defeats -- after killing 55 of 57 penalties in a 17-game stretch in which they went 13-3-1.
Aside from Barrie, the Avalanche have been without goalie Semyon Varlamov (groin) for the past nine games and forward Sven Andrighetto (leg) for the past 10.
Forward Colin Wilson (flu) missed the past four games; forward J.T. Compher (flu) didn't play Thursday in the 3-1 loss in St. Louis after missing six of the previous 10 games with an upper-body injury; and defenseman Mark Barberio (lower-body injury) also sat out against the Blues.
*****
Forwards A.J. Greer and Dominic Toninato, and defenseman David Warsofsky have been reassigned to San Antonio of the AHL. The playing status of the injured/ill players will determine which, if any, of these three will be recalled after the All-Star break.