Avs take league's best road show to Vancouver

After seeing their seven-game winning streak snapped in a 4-3 overtime loss at home to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche head back to the friendly confines of the road.

Colorado, which is on a nine-game point streak and has gone 15-3-2 in its last 20 games, has been unbeatable on the road lately. The Avalanche will try to extend their franchise-record road winning streak to 10 when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.

Colorado has been able to win despite a rash of injuries to several top players. Forwards Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Calvert and Andre Burakovsky are out and rookie defenseman Cale Makar, who is second on the team in scoring, has missed the last two games.

Coach Jared Bednar said after Wednesday's loss none of the injured players will be on the team's three-game trip. Rantanen, Kadri and Calvert were all skating Thursday before the team departed for Vancouver.

Bednar did leave open the possibility of players joining the team if they're ready but said that with the grinding schedule and having no practices, there wouldn't be an opportunity to have them work with the team between games.

The Avalanche made one move Thursday, sending rookie Martin Kaut back to the AHL and recalling forward Sheldon Dries and defenseman Kevin Connauton.

Others have stepped up, including Tyson Jost, who has two goals and four assists in the last five games to break out of a prolonged slump. His contribution has come at a good time with Colorado within two points of St. Louis for the top seed in the Western Conference.

"It's playoff hockey, you are going to have to learn how to win those games, be in those situations. So, we are doing a good job of that and I think we are playing really tight defensively," Jost told reporters after Wednesday's loss. "I don't think we are giving up much. We got to keep doing that because that's playoff hockey and that's the hockey we want to be playing."

While the Avalanche battle for a top seed the Canucks are fighting for their playoff lives. Not long ago they were leading the Pacific Division but now are tied in points for the last two wild-card slots, although they've played two fewer games than Winnipeg and Arizona.

The Coyotes handed Vancouver its fourth straight loss, 4-2, Wednesday night.

"It doesn't feel good to lose, especially against a team in our division," Canucks forward Bo Horvat said after the loss. "There is a lot of hockey left to play. We have to shake it off."

Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers missed Wednesday's game with an undisclosed injury. Tuesday head coach Travis Green said Myers was "banged up" and is considered day-to-day.

Friday will be the second of three meetings between the teams. Colorado won the first matchup, 5-4 in overtime, in Vancouver on Nov. 16. It was one of 23 road wins for the Avalanche this season, tops in the NHL entering Thursday.

The Canucks have been strong at home for most of the season but have dropped four of their last seven in Vancouver after winning nine straight at Rogers Arena.

--Field Level Media