Colorado @ Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2019 ) Florida 4, Colorado 3

The Colorado Avalanche were the last team in the NHL to lose a game, although it took overtime to finally dent their perfect record. One-third of the way through a rugged six-game road trip that includes visits to Tampa Bay and St. Louis, the Avalanche look to extend their points streak to seven contests when they visit the Florida Panthers on Friday night.

After opening the trek with a 6-3 victory at Washington, Colorado was denied its first 6-0-0 start in six years, dropping a 3-2 overtime decision at Pittsburgh on Wednesday. "A couple games ago, we weren't playing great and found a way to get two points," Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer said. "Maybe this was a little bit of a reality check." The Panthers return home after earning points in three straight road games, following a pair of shootout losses by scoring five unanswered goals in a 6-4 win at New Jersey. "I've seen so much character from this team the past few games," Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "We're resilient, and we fight to the end."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FS Florida

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (5-0-1): After amassing a career-high 99 points in 2018-19, Nathan MacKinnon is off to another strong start, scoring for the third time in four games Wednesday to extend his season-opening point streak to six games. Linemate Mikko Rantanen collected an assist on the goal to match MacKinnon's point streak while taking over the team lead with 10 points. Rookie defenseman Cale Makar was finally held off the scoresheet in Pittsburgh, denying his bid to join Marek Zidlicky as the only blue-liner to open his career with a six-game point streak.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (2-2-2): Coach Joel Quenneville moved defenseman MacKenzie Weegar alongside Ekblad at the start of the three-game trip. The switch paid off for the team and both players, who were each a plus-3 and combined for a goal and four assists in the last three games. "It's been good so far," Ekblad said. "We're just trying to take care of business. Obviously we want to play defense first, but with (Weegar's) ability and his shot, and stuff like that, we're both trying to get pucks to the net and create some chances in the offensive zone."

OVERTIME

1. Grubauer is 2-3-1 with a 2.52 goals-against average versus Florida.

2. Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky is 7-2-1 with a 2.40 GAA versus Colorado.

3. Rantanen scored twice in two games against the Panthers last season.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Panthers 3