Colorado @ Vancouver preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 27, 2019 ) Vancouver 2, Colorado 3

The fast start to the season has slowed to a crawl for the upstart Vancouver Canucks, who answered a blistering 9-1-2 run with losses in five of their last six contests (1-4-1). The Canucks aim to regain their footing on Saturday when they conclude their four-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche.

Vancouver matched the goal total during its four-game losing skid in Tuesday's 5-3 victory versus Nashville before struggling to ignite its offense two nights later in a 4-2 setback against Dallas. "It's all going to even out," Canucks captain Bo Horvat said. "We're going to go through stretches where we're not scoring a lot. We have to figure out ways to win games, 2-1, 3-2. We're not going to blow teams out and score five goals every night." Colorado was blown out in its last contest, courtesy of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl recording career-high six- and five-point performances, respectively, in a 6-2 setback to Edmonton on Thursday. Andre Burakovsky posted his sixth career two-goal effort to boost his point total to 14 in 19 games, one season removed from collecting 25 in 76 contests with Washington.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), CITY, CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet 1 (Vancouver)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (11-6-2): Erik Johnson enjoyed a bit of history in the lopsided loss on Thursday, as the top overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft set up Burakovsky's second goal for his 200th career point with Colorado. Johnson became the sixth Avalanche defenseman to reach that plateau, joining Tyson Barrie, John-Michael Liles, Sandis Ozolinsh, Adam Foote and Rob Blake. Fellow blue-liner Nikita Zadorov, who is a shade under a quarter of the way to that accomplishment, is expected to join the team in Vancouver in hopes of playing in his first game since sustaining a broken jaw in a 9-4 win against Nashville on Nov. 7.

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (10-7-3): Brock Boeser's eight goals are tied for the team lead with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, although he has just one in his last eight games. The 22-year-old had no issue flipping the switch in three encounters with Colorado last season, collecting six points (three goals, three assists). Horvat could use a jolt as well as he is mired in an eight-game goal drought and has just one in his last 11 while his lone even-strength goal was scored into an empty net.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado C Nazem Kadri has one goal and four assists on his season-high four-game point streak.

2. Vancouver has allowed the first goal in 13 of its 20 games this season.

3. Avalanche G Phillip Grubauer has participated in the morning skate for three straight days as he attempts to work his way past a lower-body injury.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Canucks 1