Morning Skate Report: Avs Rested and Ready for the Kings

After two days without a game, the Colorado Avalanche returns to action tonight against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.
The Avs started their current three-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime win at the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, as Mikko Rantanen scored with 1.3 seconds left in overtime for the Avalanche's 1,000th win since moving to Denver in 1995 (including both regular season and playoffs).

Colorado's top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen combined for eight points in the victory, scoring each of the Avs' final three goals as they rallied from a 3-1 deficit.
In the win, Landeskog and MacKinnon each recorded new career highs for ice time in a game. Landeskog was on the ice for 25:24 while MacKinnon skated 25:43.
"That is kind of a different game because it went to overtime, and we were trailing for a lot of that game, not exactly where I would want to play them every night," head coach Jared Bednar said of Landeskog and MacKinnon's ice time. "My number is right around 22 for those guys. The other night, you fall behind, you know you got rest coming up you are going to push to win hockey games and that is what we did there and they responded. That's what you need your best players to do, and they certainly did that the other night.
"They were in on three goals for our team, including the overtime-winner, so it was great to see them respond. Then we give them some good rest here, had a good day of practice and get ready to get back at it here. They should be rejuvenated and rested and ready to go."
The Avalanche had an off day on Monday before getting back to practice on Tuesday. The team is in a stretch that sees it playing 10 games in 18 days, and the Avs used the day away from the rink to rest and get ready for the contest against the Kings.
"We looked at it after, we found out after and that was a lot of ice time, but it didn't feel like that," Landeskog said after morning skate in Los Angeles. "I think as a line, we felt good and we were kind of moving throughout the whole game and creating some scoring chances. Getting rewarded in overtime felt good.
"For us, it is just a matter of making sure that we stay even keel as much as we can. The most important thing is about winning hockey games, and that is our focus tonight."

VARLAMOV IN NET

Semyon Varlamov will start in net for the Avalanche tonight. He has 199 career wins, one shy of 200 victories.
The Samara, Russia, native is looking to become only the fifth Russian goaltender in NHL history to reach 200 wins. He owns a 199-155-43 career record with a 2.64 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and 23 shutouts in 412 games.
He has a 169-142-31 mark with a 2.68 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and 19 shutouts in 353 contests with the Avalanche, ranking second in franchise history in nearly every category.
So far this season, Varlamov is 6-5-2 through 13 games played. He ranks in the top 10 among all goaltenders in both goals-against average (2.32) and save percentage (.926).

KERFOOT SET FOR GAME 100

Alexander Kerfoot is expected to play in his 100th NHL game tonight. Through his first 99 outings, he has 57 points (23 goals, 34 assists).
Through 20 games of the 2018-19 campaign, Kerfoot has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and he has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last eight outings.
During his rookie season, the Vancouver, British Columbia, native played in 79 games. He ranked fifth on the Avalanche in points (43) and fourth in goals (19). He was the 10th rookie in Colorado history to reach the 40-point mark.
The 24-year-old was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft and signed a two-year, entry-level deal with Colorado as a free agent on Aug. 24, 2017.