DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche can tie a franchise record for consecutive wins to begin a season (seven) with a victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Pepsi Center. The Quebec Nordiques began the 1985-86 season with a 7-0-0 record.

But Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said Thursday morning he wants his players to remain "humble" and to focus more on what they need to do against the Red Wings rather than be concerned about the record.

"I'm saying to the players every day, let's stay humble," he said. "We want them to be humble, we want them to take it one day at a time. When we met Ray Bourque in Boston (last week before the Avalanche's 2-0 win against the Bruins), Ray said, why not us? Those have been the words we've been using, why not another win tonight? We certainly want to focus on things we control, and what we control is how we're going to prepare ourselves tonight."

DENVER -- While the Colorado Avalanche have gotten off to a 5-0 start for the first time since they were the Quebec Nordiques in 1994-95, coach Patrick Roy said not all is perfect with his team heading into Tuesday night's game against the Dallas Stars at Pepsi Center.

The Avalanche were outshot 19-7 in the second period of a 5-1 win Saturday in Washington when Semyon Varlamov was in goal. They were outshot 15-6 in the second period of their Oct. 10 game in Boston, a 2-0 win behind the goaltending of Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

"The last two games, I think we gave up too much in the second period both times," Roy said Tuesday. "It was at the end of our trip when we had the lead. Things like that happen. We'd like to cut down a bit on shots. The chances, we gave a bit too many, though not as bad as it appears.

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the game Friday against the Nashville Predators at Pepsi Center because of a leg injury.

Landeskog was hurt in Wednesday's season-opening 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks and is listed as day to day. John Mitchell, who centered the fourth line against the Ducks, will replace Landeskog at left wing on a line with Paul Stastny and Alex Tanguay. Marc-Andre Cliche will center the fourth line with Cody McLeod and Patrick Bordeleau.

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said he expects Landeskog to resume skating Sunday and to accompany the team on a three-game trip that starts Tuesday in Toronto.

DENVER -- Patrick Roy and Teemu Selanne will mark individual milestones Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center when the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks begin regular-season play.

It will be Roy's first NHL game as a head coach when he goes behind the Avalanche bench. For Selanne, who has told the Ducks he plans to retire after the season, it will be his 22nd and final opening night.

"Yes, I'm nervous," Roy said following the morning skate. "There's nothing wrong for me to be nervous. I'm a proud person and I want to do well. I care, and when you care you have to be a bit nervous. I'm curious also to see the difference between preseason and how the (opposing) coaches are going to deal during the games, the adjustments I'm going to have to make. I'm convinced I'm going to learn a lot this year.

DENVER -- Gabriel Landeskog expects his second season as Colorado Avalanche captain to go more smoothly than his first. Named captain by coach Joe Sacco before the lockout-shortened season started, Landeskog missed 12 games with a head injury, slumped to nine goals and 17 points, and the Avalanche missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third year in a row.

"Last year was a little weird, to say the least, coming in after a lockout and having the 'C' on my jersey for just a few months," said Landeskog, who won the Calder Trophy in 2011-12 after scoring 22 goals and 52 points in 82 games. "It was a little weird. Now I know more what to expect. I'm not saying I'm the perfect captain, but it takes a while and there are a lot of great guys around here who are going to help me.

"(New Avalanche coach) Patrick (Roy) knows what it's like to be a leader in the dressing room, and I'm going to talk to him a lot. We're looking forward to having a little bit of a fresh start."

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche right wing Steve Downie has recovered from the torn anterior cruciate knee ligament he sustained in the second game of last season and will take part in on-ice workouts Thursday.

Downie, 26, is expected to skate on the third line this season with rookie center Nathan MacKinnon and left wing Jamie McGinn.

"He's cleared to play," Roy said of Downie. "I met him in June and he took [his rehabilitation] very seriously, and I'm very proud of him. He really worked hard and he's ready to play. He's an important player for us. His game is something that this team needs."

DENVER -- Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo has called Saturday's regular-season finale against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center a "Game 7," and with good reason. The Wild would secure a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a win, but they would miss out with a regulation loss if the Columbus Blue Jackets win or gain a point in their home game with the Nashville Predators.

If the Wild and Blue Jackets finish tied in the standings -- each has 53 points -- Minnesota makes it to the postseason because it holds the tiebreaker with Columbus. The Wild also could move from eighth place in the Western Conference to seventh, depending how the Detroit Red Wings, who have 54 points, fare in their game at the Dallas Stars.

Goalie Niklas Backstrom is expected to start for the Wild despite getting pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in the first period Friday in a 6-1 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Backstrom has gone 10-2-1 with a 2.10 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in his past 13 games in Denver, where the Wild have gone 11-2-2 in their past 15 visits.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the Wild were expected to recall forwards Jason Zucker and Stephane Veilleux from the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League and return Jake Dowell and Carson McMillan.

Each team played Friday -- the Avalanche pulled out a 5-4 shootout win at the Phoenix Coyotes -- and neither skated Saturday morning.

Here are the projected lineups:

DENVER – Here are the projected lineups for Sunday’s game between the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center:

BLUES

Alexander Steen – David Backes – David Perron

Andy McDonald – Vladimir Sobotka – Chris Stewart

Dmitrij Jaskin – Patrik Berglund – Vladimir Tarasenko

Jaden Schwartz – Chris Porter – Ryan Reaves

Jay Bouwmeester – Alex Pietrangelo

Jordan Leopold – Kevin Shattenkirk

Barret Jackman – Roman Polak

Brian Elliott

Jake Allen

Scratched: Adam Cracknell, Ian Cole, Jaroslav Halak, Andrew Murray, Scott Nichol, Kris Russell

Injured: Jamie Langenbrunner (hip), T.J. Oshie (ankle)

AVALANCHE

John Mitchell – Matt Duchene – PA Parenteau

Cody McLeod – Ryan O’Reilly -- Gabriel Landeskog

Jamie McGinn – Paul Stastny – Aaron Palushaj

Patrick Bordeleau – Mark Olver -- Chuck Kobasew

Greg Zanon – Tyson Barrie

Jan Hejda – Stefan Elliott

Matt Hunwick – Shane O’Brien

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Semyon Varlamov

Scratched: David Jones, Milan Hejduk

Injured: Steve Downie (knee), Erik Johnson (wrist), Ryan Wilson (ankle)

DENVER -- Right wing Milan Hejduk will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Friday against the Edmonton Oilers after missing nine games, five with a torso injury and the past four as a healthy scratch.

Avalanche coach Joe Sakic said he hadn't decided where Hejduk would play or who he would replace.

"He'll probably get some power-play time and he may bounce around a little bit with some different line combinations," Sacco said.

Goalie Semyon Varlamov will start for the first time since the Avalanche's 4-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on April 6. He missed four games with hip and groin injuries and dressed as the backup for Jean-Sebastien Giguere in Monday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Goalie Devan Dubnyk will start for the Oilers. Dubnyk made 35 saves in a 4-0 win against the Avalanche on March 12. He has a 6-3-1 record with a 2.03 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in 10 career decisions against Colorado.

Here are the projected lineups for Friday's game:

DENVER -- Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov has recovered from a hip injury that caused him to miss three games, so the team on Monday reassigned rookie goalie Sami Aittokallio to the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League.

Varlamov will dress as Jean-Sebastien Giguere's backup Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Center Chuck Kobasew will replace Mark Olver on the fourth line. Kobasew missed eight games with a back injury.

For the Blue Jackets, Brandon Dubinsky will move from left wing to center on the second line, replacing injured center Artem Anisimov. Anisimov is listed as day-to-day after sustaining a head injury on a hit from the Minnesota Wild's Charlie Coyle in the first period Saturday in the Blue Jackets' 3-2 shootout win. Blake Comeau, who was a healthy scratch the past two games, will play left wing on the fourth line.

Here are the projected lineups for Monday's game: