Colorado @ Vegas preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2019 ) Colorado 6, Vegas 1

The Colorado Avalanche will look to get back in the win column Monday when they travel to Vegas to face the Golden Knights. The Avalanche entered the week as one of the hottest teams in the league with points in nine straight games (8-0-1) but fell short in three of four contests this week, including back-to-back losses where they held a third period lead.

After allowing three goals in the final 2:56 of their 3-1 loss to Carolina on Thursday, the Avalanche had a 3-1 advantage to open the final period Saturday against the Blackhawks but surrendered four unanswered goals en route to a 5-3 setback. “That’s two games in a row. Real frustrating for us,” Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson told reporters. “You’ve got to know how to finish off when you have that opportunity ahead of you. That’s four points that we let slip away right before the break. We can’t let that happen.” Vegas extended its point streak to five games (4-0-1) after a 3-1 triumph over San Jose on Sunday and kept pace atop the Pacific Division where they share the lead with the Arizona Coyotes. Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore potted the game-winning goal Sunday - his fifth of the season - and had gone eight games without a point before notching two goals and six assists over his last five games.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain (Vegas)

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (22-11-3): Matt Calvert had two goals against the Blackhawks - his second multi-goal effort of the campaign after he netted a pair in Colorado’s 6-1 victory against Vegas on Oct. 25. Defenseman Ryan Graves, who had a goal and an assist during Saturday’s loss, is tied with Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton at plus-24. Nathan MacKinnon saw his seven-game point streak end Saturday (three goals, six assists) but still sits third in league points with 21 goals and 32 assists.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (20-13-6): Goaltender Malcolm Subban improved to 6-1-1 with a .927 save percentage over his last eight games after he stopped 37-of-38 shots Sunday - including 19-of-20 in the third period. Linemates Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone each saw their personal six-game point streaks end against the Sharks but they still hold the top two spots in team scoring with 36 and 34 points, respectively. Right winger Alex Tuch tallied his 11th point of the season and 100th point of his career in his 180th game with a first-period assist.

OVERTIME

1. Pacioretty is on pace for 75 points this season which would surpass his career-high of 67 - set twice in 2014-15 and 2016-17 with Montreal.

2. Despite missing the past seven games with an upper-body injury, Colorado D Cale Makar sits second among NHL rookies with 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists).

3. Vegas G Marc-Andre Fleury will start Monday and be looking to tie Curtis Joseph for sixth place on the all-time wins list with 454.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Golden Knights 3