[9:00 PM] Panthers @ Avalanche

Who will WIN this matchup?

Florida Panthers (13-13-5)

@ Colorado Avalanche (11-16-1)

 

Starting Goalies:

James Reimer(FLA): Unconfirmed

Calvin Pickard(COL): Confirmed

 

• The struggling Colorado Avalanche host another team in dire need of a victory Friday when the road-weary Florida Panthers pay a visit. The Avalanche are 2-7-1 over their last 10 games and dropped to last in the league with 23 points, but did rebound from an embarrassing loss with a victory at Toronto before suffering a 4-3 setback against red-hot Philadelphia on Wednesday.

• Aleksander Barkov scored his seventh goal Thursday to take over the team lead with 21 points and passed Jonathan Marchessault (20), who missed the Winnipeg contest with a lower-body injury. Veteran Jaromir Jagr added an assist against the Jets to push his career total to 1,884 points, four from passing Mark Messier for second on the NHL’s all-time list. Forward Reilly Smith snapped a 10-game goal drought Thursday while adding an assist to record his first multi-point contest of the season, and has tallied five times after finishing with a career-high 25 in 2015-16.

• Leading scorers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon have warmed up again and each boasts 20 points after Wednesday’s setback. Duchene, who has returned to his natural center position, owns five goals in the last five games to push his total to a team-high 12 and MacKinnon registered five points in the last five contests after going without one for four straight. Goalie Semyon Varlamov (groin), who missed Wednesday’s game, skated on his own Thursday while center Joe Colborne (lower-body) and defenseman Francois Beauchemin (upper-body) missed practice.

• Colorado F Rene Bourque boasts nine goals this season and has not reached double figures since 2011-12 with Calgary.

• Florida G Roberto Luongo, who could sit in favor of G James Reimer after playing Thursday, is one win from tying Terry Sawchuk (447) for fifth on the NHL’s all-time list.

• The Avalanche stood last in goals against (3.18) and 27th in goals for (2.25) entering Thursday.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Colorado Avalanche  

Confidence: 5/10

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