Avs take on Blue Jackets aiming for perfect homestand
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Avalanche attempt to complete a three-game homestand perfect on Sunday night as they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Pepsi Center.
After getting shut out in St. Louis on Monday, the Avalanche have needed to go past regulation to pick up home victories over the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers. They beat the Flyers in overtime, then used shootout goals from Matt Duchene and Alex Tanguay to top the Oilers 2-1 on Friday.
Duchene used a deke and scored on his forehand to open the second round of the tiebreaker. Ben Scrivens then bit on a deke by Tanguay, who hung on to the puck before firing it over the Oilers netminder.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves before stopping both Edmonton attempts in the shootout, helping Colorado win its fifth in the past seven games.
Duchene also set up Daniel Briere for Colorado's lone goal in regulation. After circling the Edmonton net, Duchene sent a backhand pass across to Briere, who tapped the puck into an open net at 7:55 of the second period.
"It's a luxury to play with a guy like Matt," Briere said. "He is so strong with the puck, especially behind the net. The goal was all his work."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Colorado, though, was outshot 12-3 in the third period while allowing Edmonton to tie the game. The Avalanche will hope for a better finish in this game and are likely to start Varlamov, who is 5-2-1 in his career versus the Blue Jackets with a 1.85 goals against average, .939 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Blue Jackets were in action on Saturday night and were routed 6-3 by the hosting Arizona Coyotes, who went ahead for good thanks to a three-goal second period.
Fedor Tyutin, James Wisniewski and Ryan Johansen all tallied for the Blue Jackets, who opened up a four-game road trip by having their two-game win streak halted. Johansen has two goals and four assists over a six-game point streak.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sergei Bobrovsky surrendered six goals on 31 shots in defeat. Curtis McElhinney stopped all three shots fired his way over 14:57 of relief.
"(The battle to compete) was not there," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. "It was not at the level it needed to be to go out and win a hockey game."
It is unknown if Richards will go back to Bobrovsky tonight or give McElhinney the start. Bobrovsky is 3-1-1 lifetime versus the Avs with a 2.51 GAA and .903 save percentage, while McElhinney is 2-2-0 with a 3.26 GAA and .888 save percentage in this matchup.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Columbus lost both of its meetings last season with the Avalanche and has lost six of its past nine in Colorado.