(SportsNetwork.com) – The Colorado Avalanche look to secure a second straight
victory on Monday evening when the resume their homestand against the Arizona
Coyotes.
The Avalanche halted a costly four-game slide with Saturday’s 4-1 victory over
the Dallas Stars. Colorado has dropped each game of its losing streak in
regulation and sits eight points back of a wild card spot in the Western
Conference.
Four different skaters lit the lamp and Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves in the
win over the Stars. Gabriel Landeskog, Alex Tanguay, Jarome Iginla and Dennis
Everberg all scored.
The marker was Iginla’s 578th career goal, moving him past Mark Recchi into
19th place on the all-time list. He tops Colorado with 18 goals and is tied
along with Tanguay for the team lead with 38 points.
“Definitely got a good break and was lucky on that goal. We had a good start
tonight and now we have to go get a string of wins,” Iginla said. “We know
where we are in the standings and we know what we have to do. Everyone is
ready.”
Colorado plays the third of a four-game homestand tonight and figures to start
Varlamov, who is 4-5-1 lifetime versus the Coyotes with a 3.14 goals against
average and .899 save percentage.
Varlamov did not face the Coyotes on Nov. 25 when the Avalanche recorded a 4-3
victory in overtime at Arizona. That win came in the first of three meetings
this season and was the Avs’ fourth in the previous five meetings with the
Coyotes.
Colorado has lost five of the past seven at home in this series.
Danny Briere had the winner in overtime and Landeskog scored twice, while Mike
Smith made 30 saves in defeat for the Coyotes, who got goals from Antoine
Vermette, Michael Stone and Tobias Rieder.
Smith is 8-1-4 with a 2.02 GAA and .935 save percentage lifetime versus the
Avalanche and is coming off a 5-1 setback to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Smith allowed all five goals — four in the third period — on 33 shots.
Vermette had the lone goal and Rieder was involved in a key part of the game
as he had a penalty shot denied 6:20 into the third period and Arizona down by
only one goal.
“If I score the game goes in a different direction maybe,” said Rieder. “They
get a couple of good chances, lucky bounces and they just buried those
chances.”
Arizona lost its seventh in a row at home and will play five of its next six
on the road.
