In 11 contests, Bernier has a 4-6-1 record, 3.24 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. Those latter two statistics are a bit inflated from his performance versus Dallas, when he entered with a 2.99 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.
Colorado will look to build on its 7-3 victory two nights ago at the Florida Panthers against a tough Penguins squad that has won the past two Stanley Cups. Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and is finishing up a five-game homestand this evening.
"Four lines that can score, deep team, good goaltending. It's a similar type of team as Tampa. A lot of experience, and they know how to win," Bednar said of the Penguins. "What I take out of our last couple of games is that I like our urgency and our intensity going into those games. Our details got better. In the Florida game, we took a lot of steps forward from Tampa from some of the things we liked. We got to do it again tonight. We got to take another step forward tonight."
The Avalanche broke out in the third period versus the Panthers, as it tallied four times, with Blake Comeau assisting on two of them.
"We addressed some things that maybe were costing us some goals and costing us some games," Comeau said of the club being able to end a four-game losing streak. "I thought the guys did a good job of responding last game. We got two tough games coming up on the back-to-back, so tonight it will be important that we get off to a good start and translate what we did last game into this game."
This will be the seventh of 11 back-to-back sets that the Avs will play this year, but the team's next one won't be until Jan. 22-23 when it goes to eastern Canada for contests at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.
The Avalanche will play the Penguins again for the second and final matchup in a week's time, as it hosts the series finale at Pepsi Center next Monday.
