Penguins @ Avalanche

Who will WIN this matchup?

Pittsburgh Penguins (10-8-5)

@ Colorado Avalanche (14-6-4)

Starting Goalies:

Casey DeSmith (PIT): Unconfirmed

Philipp Grubauer (COL): Confirmed

Current odds:

Pittsburgh Penguins: (-105)

Colorado Avalanche: (-115)

• Two offensive-minded teams looking to extend point streaks meet on the second night of a back-to-back when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. The Penguins boast points in five straight (3-0-2) after prevailing 4-3 at Winnipeg on Tuesday while the Avalanche have won five in a row and gained a point for the eighth consecutive contest (7-0-1) after a 3-2 triumph at Nashville on Tuesday. Pittsburgh got the winning goal from Zach Aston-Reese after Derek Grant tied it with his first of the season against Winnipeg as leading scorer Evgeni Malkin had his seven-game point streak snapped. The Penguins have recorded 18 goals during their point streak and will need another big effort against the Avalanche, who lead the league in goals per game (3.71) while their power play is sizzling at 12-of-24 during its point run.

• Colorado has produced 34 goals during its point streak and got the winner from 20-year-old forward Tyson Jost in the third period with the man advantage at Nashville for its fifth straight road victory. Mikko Rantanen and linemate Nathan MacKinnon, who are one and two in the league in points, both take five-game point streaks into the matchup against Pittsburgh.

• Phil Kessel notched an assist Tuesday to extend his point streak to nine games and the right wing moved within two of Malkin (30 points) for the top spot on the team. Captain Sidney Crosby scored Tuesday for his 10th of the season and the center has recorded 11 of his 25 points in the last seven contests (four goals) while defenseman Kris Letang notched his sixth assist in a four-game span. Goalie Casey DeSmith has turned aside 79 of the 85 shots he faced in three straight wins with Matt Murray (lower body) out and is backed up by Tristan Jarry.

• Rantanen (40 points) notched his 29th and 30th assists and MacKinnon (37) pushed his team-leading total to 17 goals with a pair Tuesday. Defenseman Tyson Barrie (three goals, 20 points) sat out Tuesday’s contest reportedly with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day as Mark Barberio took his spot in the lineup. Semyon Varlamov (9-5-2) won his fifth straight contest between the pipes with 36 saves Tuesday and since he hasn’t played back-to-back this season could yield to Philipp Grubauer (5-1-2), who has not lost in regulation since his season debut.

• Colorado D Erik Johnson needs one assist to reach 200 in his career after managing one in the last eight games.

• Pittsburgh F Jake Guentzel has registered five goals along with a pair of assists in the last five contests.

• The Avalanche won both meetings last season, including 4-2 on home ice.