J.T. Compher returns to the lineup and Mark Barberio replaces Nikita Zadorov on defense when the Avalanche play in Pittsburgh on Wednesday trying to make it six consecutive wins to open a season.

A win would match the best start by the team since it arrived in Denver from Quebec in 1995; Colorado went 6-0-0 to begin the 2013-14 season. The Nordiques won their first seven games in 1985-86.

GAME NOTES.

Compher, who missed the past three games with a lower-body injury, will play right wing on the third line with left wing Colin Wilson and center Tyson Jost.

Barberio, who played in the final two games of the opening four-game homestand, was a healthy scratch Monday in Washington. He’ll be on the third pair with Ryan Graves.

Valeri Nichushkin, who has one assist in five games, will be a healthy scratch along with Zadorov, Kevin Connauton and Vladislav Kamenev.

“It’s down to their performance,” coach Jared Bednar told the Denver Post after the morning skate. “We’re evaluating it every day and trying to put our strongest lineup in every night.”

The Avalanche lineup:

FORWARDS
Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Joonas Donskoi -- Nazem Kadri -- Andre Burakovsky
Colin Wilson -- Tyson Jost -- J.T. Compher
Matt Calvert -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Matt Nieto

DEFENSE
Erik Johnson -- Samuel Girard
Cale Makar -- Ian Cole
Ryan Graves -- Mark Barberio

GOALIES
Philipp Grubauer
Pavel Francouz



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