The Colorado Avalanche will try to avoid a sixth loss in a row on the road Tuesday night when they visit the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season.
The Avalanche are 0-2-3 in their past five as the guest and their lone victory over their past five games overall was a 5-4 home decision over the Calgary Flames last Thursday. They then began a three-game swing on Sunday with a 2-1 setback to the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime.
PA Parenteau potted his team-leading ninth goal of the season, but took a hooking penalty in overtime that led to Columbus' winning goal.
It was a rough season debut for Ryan O'Reilly, who played in his first game after Colorado matched an offer sheet he signed with the Calgary Flames on Thursday. He saw a pass by the Blue Jackets go off his stick and into the net during a 5-on-3 power play for Columbus.
"I wasn't very good. It's going to be a climb back," admitted O'Reilly, who logged nearly 16 minutes of ice time and was held without a shot. "No one said it was going to be easy for me. I just have to work hard and take it one game at a time."
Road struggles aren't anything new for the Avalanche though. They have been shorthanded 48 times as the guest this season and yielded 17 goals for a league-worst 64.6 penalty kill percentage. That has led to Colorado posting just a 2-6-3 road record on the season.
Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves versus the Blue Jackets, falling to 0-6-2 on the road this season.
The Red Wings will try to extend the Avalanche's road issues for at least another game, but have lost seven of their last 10 and are coming off a 2-1 shootout setback to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Detroit seemed poised to hand the Blackhawks their first regulation setback of the season after Tomas Tatar broke a scoreless game early in the third with his fourth goal of the season, but Chicago's Patrick Kane tied things with 2:02 left in the third and had the lone shootout tally.
Jimmy Howard made 32 saves in defeat.
"They were way better than us at the start. I thought we were cautious and too respectful," Detroit head coach Mike Babcock said.
The Red Wings and Avalanche split their four meetings in 2011-12, with each team winning once at home and on the road.
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