Preview: Avalanche at Maple Leafs

AVALANCHE (10-15-1) at MAPLE LEAFS (11-10-5)
7 p.m. ET; SN, ALT, NHL.TV

Avalanche team scope

The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a 10-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. They've won once in their past eight games and are last in the NHL standings. The focus now is on winning the finale of a four-game road trip Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. "If you look at [Saturday] night, obviously that was a little embarrassing and kind of an eye-opener for us, but we didn't compete the way we needed to in order to win the game," coach Jared Bednar said. "But we have a chance to get right back on the horse here tonight and salvage the road trip and go 2-2-0." Forward Gabriel Landeskog returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. He is expected to be moved up to a line with center Nathan MacKinnon and right wing Jarome Iginla. "As humiliating and embarrassing as it was [Saturday] night, the outcome of the game was that we lost two points," Landeskog said. "Whether the game was a one-goal game or a nine-goal game, it's a loss on the score sheet, and that's the way we have to look at it and just make sure we respond today," The Avalanche are 1-2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. Goalie Semyon Varlamov will start. He is 0-4-0 in his past four starts, allowing 14 goals, including six in relief of Calvin Pickard on Saturday.

Maple Leafs team scope

Goalie Antoine Bibeau will make his first NHL start. Bibeau was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on Dec. 6. "Just get out there and play, don't think, don't get in your own way," coach Mike Babcock said of Bibeau. "Just like any young player coming with an opportunity, there's always nerves. You have to handle that and be who you are." The Maple Leafs begin a five-game homestand coming off a 4-1 win at the Boston Bruins on Saturday and are 0-4-1 in the second game of back-to-backs. "We have to figure that out, because I think we have the most in the League," forward James van Riemsdyk said. "Just playing consistently and not making the mistakes that end up beating yourself because in the second of back-to-backs, it's a little bit tougher, some parts of the game become tougher when you are chasing the game. We want to make sure we're not making any mental errors where we are giving away freebies."

Avalanche projected lineup

Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Jarome Iginla
Rene Bourque -- Carl Soderberg -- Mikhail Grigorenko
Matt Duchene -- John Mitchell -- Mikko Rantanen
Andreas Martinsen -- Joe Colborne -- Blake Comeau
Nikita Zadorov -- Tyson Barrie
Patrick Wiercioch -- Fedor Tyutin
Francois Beauchemin -- Cody Goloubef
Semyon Varlamov
Calvin Pickard
Scratched:Eric Gelinas, Cody McLeod
Injured:Erik Johnson (leg)

Maple Leafs projected lineup

James van Riemsdyk -- Tyler Bozak -- Mitchell Marner
Leo Komarov -- Nazem Kadri -- Connor Brown
Zach Hyman -- Auston Matthews -- William Nylander
Matt Martin -- Ben Smith -- Nikita Soshnikov
Morgan Rielly -- Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner -- Connor Carrick
Matt Hunwick -- Roman Polak
Antoine Bibeau
Frederik Andersen
Scratched:Josh Leivo, Frank Corrado
Injured:Martin Marincin (lower body)

Status report

Marincin will not play after sustaining a lower-body injury Saturday. Carrick will replace him in the lineup. ... Leivo was activated to the 23-man roster for the first time this season. Babcock did not set a target for him to get into the lineup. "He wants me to work hard and show that I want it, I have to earn a spot to get back in the lineup because these guys are playing well," Levio said. "It's my job to work hard and get back into it."

Who's hot

Matthews has six goals in his past seven games. ... Van Riemsdyk has four goals in his past six games. ... MacKinnon has two goals and four points in his past three games. ... Duchene has three goals in his past three games.