Need to Know: Bruins vs. Avalanche

BostonBruins.com- The Bruins will be looking to continue their season-high six-game point streak when they host the Colorado Avalanche tonight at TD Garden.
Boston (15-10-2, 32 points) is third in the Atlantic Division, 5 points behind division leader Montreal. The Avalanche (9-14-1, 19 points) are last in the Central Division.
The teams met just a few weeks ago in Denver, a 2-0 victory for the Bruins, during which David Krejci and Dominic Moore scored and Tuukka Rask secured his third shutout of the season.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Here is what you need to know:

What to Watch For

The Bruins did not start off Wednesday night's tilt with Washington quite the way they would have liked, falling behind by three goals just six minutes into the second period.
But Boston stormed back to tie the game, 3-3, force overtime and earn a point. Nicklas Backstrom ended the Bruins' chances for a full comeback with his tally just 1:36 into the extra session, but Boston left the nation's capital pleased with their effort and excited to get back on the ice Thursday against Colorado.
"We stuck in there and worked our way back into it," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "A real good effort by our hockey club and probably by the end, we deserve better. But against a team like that, you take the point and move on because we have a game [Thursday night].
"It's important for us to get out of here and start focusing on [Colorado]."
The Bruins would like to carry over the energy and drive they had over the final two periods in Washington, as they try to extend their season-long points streak to seven games against the Avalanche.
Julien hinted earlier this week that he could use backup goalie Anton Khudobin at some point in the coming days. With tonight marking the second night of a back-to-back, Khudobin (1-3-0, 2.75 GAA) could be in goal to spell Rask.

Opposing View

The Avalanche come to Boston, having lost six straight games. Colorado is paced by leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon (6-11-17) and center Matt Duchene (9-7-16).
Defenseman Fedor Tyutin will return to the lineup, according to Colorado coach Jared Bednar, after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury.
Gabriel Landeskog will miss the game with an illness. The Avalanche captain was scheduled to return to the lineup against the Bruins after missing the last nine games with an injury.
Landeskog, Tyson Barrie, Duchene, and MacKinnon were also sick and missed practice at TD Garden Wednesday, according ColoradoAvalanche.com.
Calvin Pickard (4-2-1, 2.44 GAA) will make his ninth start of the season between the pipes.

Wait, There's More

• The Bruins and Avalanche are meeting for the 143rd time in history (includes Quebec Nordiques). Boston holds a 72-52-15-2 advantage.
• The Bruins are winless in 10 straight games against Colorado in Boston. Their last win over the Avs on home ice was March 30, 1998.
• Former Bruins winger Jarome Iginla has six points (three goals, three assists) in 24 games this season. Tonight, he is expected to play in his 1,499th game and tie Mike Modano for 16th place all-time.
• Old friend Carl Soderberg has seven points (three goals, four assists) this season and has played in 193 straight games, the longest streak on the Avalanche.