Pittsburgh @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2019 ) Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 3

The Pittsburgh Penguins have overcome myriad injuries to post a scintillating 12-3-1 record over their last 16 games. The surging Penguins look to march to their fourth straight road victory on Friday when they play the second contest of a three-game trek against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.

Pittsburgh has pieced together a sterling 16-6-4 mark in the 26 games that Sidney Crosby has missed due to injury this season, but that running total doesn't appear ready to stop given the superstar captain did not practice on Thursday as he works his way past a sports hernia injury. "Sid's going through a rehab process, and with the nature of this injury, it's an evolving process," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Part of that process is introducing him to the team environment. We see how he responds and the medical staff makes decisions according." While Pittsburgh sports a sizzling 17-4-2 record versus Western Conference foes, the Avalanche dropped the final two contests of their three-game road trip against Eastern Conference teams and seven of their last 10 contests overall (3-6-1) entering the opener of their season high-tying five-game homestand. "We didn't have enough guys tugging on the rope in the right direction. We just didn't have it," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said following Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: AT&T Sportsnet-Pittsburgh, Sportsnet, TVAS, Altitude

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (26-12-5): Tristan Jarry and defenseman Kris Letang celebrated being named as injury replacements to the NHL All-Star Game by turning aside 31 shots and notching two assists, respectively, in Pittsburgh's 4-3 victory versus Vegas on Tuesday. "We've got a great group of players," Sullivan said. "This is a players game. Those are the guys that go out there and get the job done." Jarry owns a 10-1-1 record versus Western Conference foes this season, but fellow goaltender Matt Murray made 26 saves in Pittsburgh's 3-2 overtime win over Colorado on Oct. 16.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (25-15-4): While Bednar wasn't a fan of his team's most recent performance, the coach had nothing but kind words for Nathan MacKinnon after the former top overall pick scored a highlight-reel goal while playing in his 500th career game on Tuesday. "High-end skill, it's tough to read what he's doing, especially now when he's kind of feeling it and things are going his way," Bednar said of MacKinnon, who leads the team in goals (26), assists (39) and points (65). The 24-year-old has recorded 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his last eight contests overall and also scored a goal in the first meeting with the Penguins.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado's Samuel Girard is the first defenseman in franchise history to collect nine assists in a five-game span.

2. Letang, who is replacing the injured C Jake Guentzel (shoulder) in the upcoming NHL All-Star Game, resides one assist shy of becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to record 400 in a career.

3. Avalanche LW J.T. Compher has scored three goals in his last four games after netting four in his previous 37.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Penguins 2