The Colorado Avalanche will try to avoid losing three
consecutive games for the first time this season tonight, when they host the
Phoenix Coyotes at the Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche return home for three straight games after a string of 11 road
games in 13 contests. They opened a seven-game road trip from October 8-21
with two straight losses, one in a shootout, before winning four in a row en
route to a 4-1-2 swing.
After back-to-back home wins, Colorado won the first two contests of a four-
game trip before suffering back-to-back regulation losses for the first time
this season.
The Avs posted an outstanding 10-2-2 mark in October, but opened up November
with a 3-0 loss in Vancouver to end their recent trek. Craig Anderson, who
tied an NHL record with 10 October wins, gave up three goals on 20 shots.
"These nights are going to happen, you can't be perfect every night," said
Anderson. "You have to learn from your mistakes and figure out how to find
energy. It's no excuse 11 games on the road."
Colorado will try to maintain its perfect home record tonight (4-0-0) and will
have Cody McLeod back in the lineup. He missed the last six games after taking
an inadvertent stick to the face on October 21 versus Minnesota.
Anderson, who was named the NHL's first star for the month of October, won't
be in net, however, as head coach Joe Sacco will give Peter Budaj his first
start of the season.
Budaj, who has recovered from a bout with swine flu, went 20-29-5 with a 2.86
goals-against average in 56 games last year and is 6-3-3 with a 2.73 GAA
lifetime versus Phoenix.
"He deserves the opportunity," Sacco said of Budaj on Colorado's official Web
site. "Craig has played, as we all know, extremely well for us. I think it's
the right time right now to give Craig a rest and get Peter in there."
Phoenix will have the third star of October on the ice tonight in goaltender
Ilya Bryzgalov, who was given a rest in Monday's 5-3 loss to Los Angeles.
Backup Jason LaBarbera gave up four goals on 26 shots, as the Coyotes blew a
two-goal, second-period lead. Shane Doan had a goal and an assist, while
Martin Hanzal and Scottie Upshall both scored.
"You've got a two-goal lead at home with almost the end of the second," Doan
said. "That's got to be a win. We dropped the ball."
The loss snapped the Coyotes' three-game win streak but was just their third
setback in 10 games (7-3-0).
Phoenix finally got some off-the-ice closure on Monday, as the team's sale to
the NHL was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The league will now
continue its efforts to find a buyer that will keep the team in Glendale.
Bryzgalov is 3-2-2 with a 2.85 GAA in his career versus Colorado. He went
8-3-0 in October and ended the month with a league-best 1.78 GAA and three
shutouts.
The Coyotes have won six of their last eight versus the Avalanche and four of
the past five in Colorado.
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