This is a big week for the Avalanche, starting with Monday night's game in Dallas. Colorado will play Minnesota and Buffalo at home on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, before heading east for a four-game road trip, the final games before the NHL takes a two-week break for the Olympics.
The Avalanche has lost two of the past three games after going 4-0-1 in the previous five games, and is taking on two Central Division rivals in the Stars and Wild, both of whom are making a push to get back into the playoff picture.
The Avalanche remains in third place with 69 points in 51 games. The fourth-place Wild has 62 points in 54 games and plays Tuesday in Anaheim. The Stars are fifth with 56 points in 52 games.
The Stars have won three games in a row with goalie Kari Lehtonen, who has stopped 66 of 67 shots in this stretch. He's coming off a 24-save, 3-0 win against Pittsburgh.
Semyon Varlamov will be in goal for the Avalanche. He gave up two goals on 11 shots Saturday when he relieved Sami Aittokallio to start the third period in a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere has recovered from his back problems and will suit up as the backup. Aittokallio was sent back to the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL.
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy is giving PA Parenteau the night off. Parenteau played three games in five nights after returning from his knee injury. But Alex Tanguay will return after sitting out Saturday.
Defenseman Nate Guenin will play his second game in a row after missing nine with an ankle injury, so Ryan Wilson will be a healthy scratch again.
The Avalanche needs Matt Duchene to start scoring again. He has 11 assists in the past 17 games but just one goal. Defenseman Erik Johnson has gone eight games without a point and 10 without a goal.
The Stars have scored at least one power-play goal in seven consecutive games, while the Avalanche is 0-for-9 on power plays in the past three games and 1-for-13 in five games.
The Avalanche lineup:
FORWARDS Gabriel Landeskog -- Paul Stastny -- Alex Tanguay Ryan O'Reilly -- Matt Duchene -- Jamie McGinn Max Talbot -- Nathan MacKinnon -- John Mitchell Cody McLeod -- Marc-Andre Cliche -- Patrick Bordeleau
DEFENSE Jan Hejda -- Erik Johnson Andre Benoit -- Tyson Barrie Nick Holden -- Nate Guenin
GOALIES Semyon Varlamov Jean-Sebastien Giguere