Fresh off a 4-1 win in Chicago on Wednesday, the Avalanche will play Carolina on Thursday at the Pepsi Center.

GAME NOTES

The Avalanche didn’t have a morning skate, but Philipp Grubauer is the likely starter after Pavel Francouz had 31 saves against the Blackhawks.

The NHL.com GAME STORY

Coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday that defenseman Erik Johnson might play against the Hurricanes. Johnson has missed 11 games since sustaining a lower-body injury Nov. 23 against Toronto.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday that defenseman Samuel Girard was fined $1,957.89, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for boarding Chicago’s Alex DeBrincat in the third period Wednesday.

The Avalanche have gone 9-1-1 in the past 11 games and 3-0-1 in the past four games at home.

The Hurricanes have gone 5-0-1 in their past six games and 6-1-1 in the past eight. They’re completing a five-game road trip, having gone 3-0-1 in the first four games.



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