Anaheim @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 15, 2019 ) Anaheim 5, Colorado 3

Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche are off to another strong start this season and hope to continue rolling when they begin a three-game homestand Saturday against the sputtering Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon extended his season-opening point streak to a team-record 10 games with a pair of assists Friday as Colorado completed a 4-1-1 road trip with a 6-1 triumph in Vegas.

The 24-year-old MacKinnon, who has collected five goals and nine assists during his run to give him the team lead in points, began 2018-19 with a nine-game point streak. His efforts have helped the Avalanche to an 8-1-1 record after they opened last season with points in eight of their first nine games (6-1-2). Anaheim is in the midst of a three-game losing streak during which it has scored one goal in each contest, including the first two of its four-game road trip. The Ducks is 26th in the league with 25 goals, scoring three or more in only four of their first 11 games.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, KCOP-13 (Anaheim), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE DUCKS (6-5-0): Despite being among the league leaders in fewest goals allowed (24), Anaheim strengthened its blue line on Friday as it acquired Erik Gudbranson from Pittsburgh for left wing Andreas Martinsen and a 2021 seventh-round draft pick. "I've heard nothing but great things about Anaheim," the 27-year-old Gudbranson, who was drafted third overall in 2010 by Florida, told reporters after the deal. "The organization and everything that comes with it speaks for itself. I'm very excited to be there and be part of a good group." Max Comtois, a 20-year-old left wing who made his NHL debut last season, has registered nine points in 16 career games after scoring in Thursday's 2-1 loss at Dallas.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (8-1-1): Colorado is near the top of the league with 42 goals after scoring six on three occasions and five on another during its road trip. The team was able to roll past the Golden Knights without Mikko Rantanen, who has been deemed "week-to-week" after suffering a lower-body injury at St. Louis on Monday in Colorado's lone regulation loss. The 22-year-old Finn, who registered a career-high 87 points in 2018-19, had been tied with MacKinnon for the team lead with 12 after landing on the scoresheet in eight of his nine contests this season.

OVERTIME

1. Avalanche D Cale Makar, who scored his first career regular-season goal Friday, has notched nine points in 10 games - the most by a rookie blue-liner in the month of October in team history.

2. Anaheim will be without D Josh Manson (lower body) and RW Ondrej Kase (upper body) after they were injured in the first period Thursday.

3. Colorado C Nazem Kadri, who was acquired from Toronto in July, is tied with MacKinnon and Rantanen for the team lead in goals with five after scoring twice against Vegas.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Ducks 2