The Avalanche try for their fourth consecutive win Saturday when they face Nashville in the second game of a back-to-back situation.
The GAME NOTES.
This was going to be a tough one regardless of when it was played, but it’s coming less than 24 hours after the Avalanche’s 5-3 win in Chicago on Friday.
The Avalanche have won three games in a row for the first time since a six-game streak Nov. 18-28. They’re 4-1-0 in the past five games and 4-2-3 in nine after losing four in a row in regulation. They’re also 2-0-3 in the past five road games.
The guess here is that Philipp Grubauer will get the start, which would be his first since Feb. 5 when he permitted five goals on 36 shots in the Avalanche’s 6-3 loss to Columbus. He last played Feb. 12 in relief of Semyon Varlamov and stopped 10 of 11 shots in Colorado’s 5-2 loss to Toronto.
Varlamov made his ninth straight start Friday and had 41 saves against the Blackhawks. The Avalanche will need him to get some rest before meeting Florida and Vancouver at the Pepsi Center on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
BSNDenver reported that Matt Nieto has a lower-body injury, which would mean that Colin Wilson will play. He’s missed five games with an upper-body injury but took part in an optional practice Thursday while wearing a regular jersey.
Nieto has been on a line with Carl Soderberg and Mikko Rantanen.
Soderberg had two goals Friday, giving him a career high 21 for the season. J.T. Compher had two goals and an assist, Gabriel Landeskog a goal and an assist, and Patrik Nemeth two assists.
Rantanen had an assist for his 200th NHL point.