(SportsNetwork.com) – The Vancouver Canucks will aim for revenge against the
Colorado Avalanche when the clubs meet in Tuesday’s battle at the Pepsi
Center.
The Canucks did not fare well when they faced the Avalanche in Denver earlier
this season, dropping a 7-3 decision for their most lopsided loss of 2014-15.
Jarome Iginla recorded two goals and an assist for Colorado in the meeting on
Oct. 24 and the Avs outshot Vancouver by a 48-29 margin. It was the third
straight overall victory in this series for the Avalanche and their third
consecutive home win over the Canucks.
Colorado, however, has won only once since slamming Vancouver last month,
posting a 1-1-3 mark in its last five outings. The Canucks, meanwhile,
followed the loss with four straight victories before having that streak
halted in Sunday’s home test against Nashville.
The Predators recorded a 3-1 win in Vancouver on Sunday behind a two-goal
performance from Filip Forsberg. Pekka Rinne also made 26 saves in the
triumph.
The game was tied 1-1 before the Predators scored twice in the third.
Alex Edler had the lone goal for Vancouver, while Eddie Lack stopped 30 shots
in defeat.
“We had some chances, just didn’t shoot the puck,” Canucks coach Willie
Desjardins said.
Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa left Sunday’s game and did not return after
getting struck in the right eye with a puck during the first period. However,
Bieksa is considered day-to-day and could play tonight.
Fourth-line forward Tom Sestito also was injured on Sunday and could be out
for a week, while Alexandre Burrows is serving the final part of a three-game
suspension tonight. Those absences will allow 19-year-old rookie Bo Horvat,
the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft, to make his NHL debut on Tuesday.
Vancouver hopes to return to the win column when it begins a four-game road
trip on Tuesday. The Canucks own identical 4-2-0 records this season at home
and on the road.
The Avalanche have lost two straight, dropping a pair of 3-2 decisions over
the weekend. Colorado lost in a shootout Saturday in St. Louis before opening
a three-game homestand with Sunday’s regulation defeat versus Anaheim.
Colorado led Sunday’s tilt 2-1 after 20 minutes, but Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm
and Cam Fowler tallied in the second period to give the Ducks the lead for
good. Anaheim outshot the Avs by a 33-18 margin in the game.
Nathan MacKinnon and Dennis Everberg tallied for the Avalanche, while Semyon
Varlamov made 30 saves in defeat.
“We were just not sustaining any pressure,” Colorado center John Mitchell
said.
Colorado fell to 2-2-2 at the Pepsi Center after Sunday’s setback, losing for
the second time in its past three home games.
