Morning Skate Report: Avs Look to Create Separation

In the heat of a crowded playoff race in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche recognizes that it controls its own destiny in making the postseason for the second consecutive season.
With 19 games remaining on their schedule, including those against every club its battling for a playoff spot with, the Avs can make the Stanley Cup tournament if they take care of their own business in the final six weeks of the campaign.
Colorado, which is one point behind the Dallas Stars for the second wild-card spot in the conference, looks to get back into a playoff position and create some separation in the standings this evening as it hosts the Vancouver Canucks at Pepsi Center.
"We're up against some hot teams. It's crunch time," said Avs forward Tyson Jost. "We got to bring our A game every single night. We saw against Florida that we took our foot off the gas a little bit and it cost us a point, and every point right now is crucial. We got to come out with a lot of fire tonight."

This is the third and final meeting of the season between the Avalanche and Canucks, with the clubs last meeting coming in the first game back from their respective bye weeks on Feb. 2. Colorado is 0-1-1 this season against its former Northwest Division foe, falling 7-6 in overtime in the first matchup on Nov. 2 in Vancouver and losing 5-1 at home earlier this month.
The Canucks are four points behind the Avalanche in the West standings and looking for their first playoff appearance since 2015.
"You can get excited and get up for these games. It's a playoff-type game," Jost said. "For sure you want to control your emotions a little bit, but you want that fire and intensity in each and every player. That is what we're going to bring tonight."

The Avalanche lost 5-4 in overtime to the Florida Panthers on Monday night to begin its two-game homestand, but the squad still gained a point for the fifth straight outing (4-0-1). Colorado is 5-1-1 in its last seven contests and has points in nine of its last 11 (5-2-4).
"Right now I think everyone is pretty happy the way we're playing, and the results as well, even if we lost last game," said Carl Soderberg, who saw his three-game multi-point streak come to an end versus the Panthers. "We've been pretty good lately and winning against a couple good teams. I think everyone should feel pretty good about themselves and get ready for Vancouver tonight."
The Avs will get Colin Wilson back in the lineup after the forward missed eight games with an upper-body injury. Wilson, who last played on Feb. 10 at the Boston Bruins, will skate on a line with Sven Andrighetto and Sheldon Dries, according to head coach Jared Bednar.

Bednar will also have Gabriel Landeskog and newly-acquired forward Derick Brassard switch spots on the forward combinations. Landeskog will return to a group with center Jost and fellow wing Matt Calvert, while Brassard will play with Soderberg and J.T. Compher.
Brassard made his team debut and scored on Monday after being acquired hours earlier from Florida at the NHL Trade Deadline.
"He was awesome. I liked playing with him," said Jost, who also scored versus the Panthers and picked up his fifth point (three goals, two assists) in the last five games. "He's a great player. He is going to be huge for us, he's going to add a lot of depth. He's an awesome guy, too, so he's fitting in well. We're happy to see him in an Avs jersey."
Semyon Varlamov was the first goaltender off the ice at today's morning skate and is expected to get the start for Colorado. Since Feb. 14, he has a 4-1-1 in record and has the third best goals-against average (1.84) and save percentage (.947) among netminders that have played at least four games in that time.
The Canucks are coming off a 4-0 win at home against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night that ended a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
"Same kind of thing we just saw in Florida and Chicago, they are a dangerous team offensively." Bednar said of Vancouver. "They can get up and go on the rush, their D go up and help them. They have good pace to their game, try and get in behind you and stretch the ice out. They got some crafty and creative players and they're a hardworking group. So you got to be ready to check and play them physical and you got to make it tough to move out there."

VIEW: Avalanche vs. Canucks Projected Lineup

FINDING TWINE

The Avalanche has scored at least three goals in each of its last five games, including tallying five or more three times.
Colorado has outscored opponents 23-4 during the club's 4-0-1 run, including by a 12-3 margin in the third period and 18-4 at even strength.
The Avs presently have a plus-9 goal differential and are the only Western Conference team not among the top three in either division with a plus rating in the stat.

CLOSE TO CAREER YEARS

A few Colorado veterans are on the verge of tying or surpassing career bests in several categories.
Gabriel Landeskog needs one point to tie his career high in points (65, 2013-14) after already posting personal bests in goals (33), game-winning goals (nine) and power-play tallies (10) this season.
Matt Calvert has tied his career high in points with 24 (previously set three times) and is one helper shy in assists (15, 2013-14 and 2017-18).
Mikko Rantanen needs one assist to tie his career mark for helpers in a campaign (55 in 2017-18) and just one more power-play goal to match the 12 he had last year. Tied for the team lead in scoring with 80 points, Rantanen needs just four more to match the career-high 84 he had in 2017-18.
Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 276 shots on goal and needs only eight more to match his personal best of 284 set last season.