The Avalanche could be in for a rough time Friday when they play the high-powered Winnipeg Jets at the Pepsi Center.
Here are the GAME NOTES.
Goalie Semyon Varlamov will start. He's allowed 20 goals in a five-game losing streak but did play well in a 1-0 loss to the Jets on Oct. 28 when the Avalanche had 37 shots against Michael Hutchinson.
The Jets (7-7-1), who defeated Arizona 3-2 on the road Thursday, are led by the line of left wing Nikolaj Ehlers, center Mark Scheifele and right wing Patrik Laine, which has combined for 11 goals and 15 assists in the past four games. Scheifele leads the NHL with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) and Laine leads the league with 11 goals.
"It's going to be a tough matchup every time they're on the ice," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said after the morning skate. "They're going to see a lot of (Matt) Duchene, (Mikko) Rantanen and (Nathan) MacKinnon tonight. Top guns against top guns. Our guys are going to have to do a job."
Scheifele has four goals and six assists in a four-game scoring streak, while Laine has five goals and three assists in a four-game streak and Ehlers has two goals and six assists in a four-game streak.
"We've been giving up too many odd-man rushes," defenseman Erik Johnson said. "It's on the 'D' and the forwards. We just have to have better reads, and that will eliminate a lot of the chances. All the top lines in the league are going to generate some really good looks, it's just a matter of how many you're going to give them. They're going to get some, we just can't give them the Grade A, 2-on-1, 3-on-2 type opportunities.
"What's been killing us is we've been giving up goals very early into the game. It's tough to always play from behind. Maybe with the lead it'd be a little bit better."
Of the Jets' top line:
"It's impressive," Johnson said. "They're playing really well. It's trending toward a younger guys game, and those guys are some of the better players in the league. We have to be on our game and better at home because we haven't been very good at home."
Adding to the problems, the Avalanche (5-7-0) haven't been generating much in the way of offense.
"You go through droughts throughout the year and maybe this is our drought at the start of the year," said Johnson, who has no goals and five assists. "I haven't scored yet, which is frustrating. Me and Tyson (Barrie, one goal, four assists) are the offensive guys on the blue line and we feel a responsibility to contribute. When you're looking for offense, pressing for a goal, sometimes that can make you go on the wrong end at the wrong time. It's going to come, we just have to stick with it."
The Avalanche lineup:
FORWARDS Mikko Rantanen -- Matt Duchene -- Nathan MacKinnon Gabriel Landeskog -- Carl Soderberg -- Rene Bourque Joe Colborne -- Mikhail Grigorenko-- Jarome Iginla Andreas Martinsen -- John Mitchell -- Cody McLeod
DEFENSE Nikita Zadorov -- Erik Johnson Fedor Tyutin -- Tyson Barrie Francois Beauchemin -- Patrick Wiercioch
GOALIES Semyon Varlamov Calvin Pickard