Avalanche @ Penguins

Who will WIN this matchup?

Colorado Avalanche (16-6-5)

@ Pittsburgh Penguins (10-10-5)

Starting Goalies:

Semyon Varlamov (COL): Confirmed

Casey DeSmith (PIT): Confirmed

Current odds:

Colorado Avalanche: (+120)

Pittsburgh Penguins: (-140)

• Nathan MacKinnon rode a sterling four-point performance (one goal, three assists) to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-3 win last week over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, who received all of their offense courtesy of Sidney Crosby’s 11th career hat trick. The Nova Scotia native will be back in action on Tuesday as the Avalanche carry an 11-game point streak (9-0-2) into PPG Paints Arena against the Penguins. MacKinnon wasn’t the lone member of the Avalanche to have his way with the Penguins, as linemates Gabriel Landeskog (one goal, one assist) and Mikko Rantanen (two assists) recorded two-point performances. The NHL’s Second Star for November, MacKinnon continued his sizzling play with his team-leading 19th goal before setting up Landeskog’s empty-net tally in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Detroit to open Colorado’s four-game road trip.

• While the Avalanche are ascending in the Central Division, Pittsburgh has plummeted in the Metropolitan after dropping 12 of its last 16 games (4-9-3). “We’ve just got to find consistency,” Crosby told reporters. “We’ve got to find ways to not hurt ourselves in games with big mistakes, and if we do make them, we’ve got to find a way to bail each other out of those mistakes – get some big plays or big goals, whatever it is.”

• Rantanen set up two goals for the fifth time during his eight-game point streak (four goals, 12 assists) on Sunday to keep his two-point advantage over MacKinnon for the NHL lead in points (45). While the offense has been consistent, goaltender Semyon Varlamov has been strong as he provides the last line of defense – highlighted by his 24-save performance against the Red Wings for his first shutout of the season and 24th career. The 30-year-old Russian has allowed just 14 goals in his last seven starts overall (6-0-1) heading into a tilt with Pittsburgh, against which he sports a 4-1-1 mark with a .920 save percentage.

• Crosby converted a 2-on-1 rush with Jake Guentzel to open the scoring just 39 seconds into Saturday’s 4-2 setback versus Philadelphia and extend both players’ respective point streaks to four games. The 31-year-old Crosby has collected 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his last nine games overall and has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 13 career encounters with Colorado. Fellow former Hart Trophy recipient Evgeni Malkin is also averaging a point per game against the Avalanche with 14 (six goals, eight assists) in as many contests.

• Pittsburgh has not permitted a power-play goal in each of its last eight games.

• Avalanche D Erik Johnson, who scored in the first meeting with the Penguins, resides one assist shy of 200 for his career.

• Pittsburgh acquired D Marcus Pettersson from Anaheim in exchange for F Daniel Sprong on Monday.