Colorado @ Buffalo preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 9, 2019 ) Buffalo 0, Colorado 3

Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel hasn't let the All-Star break alter the course of his career season. After recording four assists in the exhibition two-game tournament, Eichel has scored a goal in each of the last three contests heading into Tuesday's outing against the visiting Colorado Avalanche.

"We know the genius of Jack and the competitiveness and the leadership that he shows and the hunger he has to be successful as a teammate, not just as an individual," Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger said of Eichel, who scored 36 seconds into overtime in a 2-1 victory over Columbus on Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old Eichel has collected 23 goals and as many assists in a 33-game stretch to boost his team-leading totals to a career-high 31 and 34, respectively. While the Sabres are in the midst of a pivotal stretch of games in which they play nine of 10 at home, the Avalanche opened a five-game trek with a 6-3 setback in Philadelphia on Saturday. Mikko Rantanen scored a goal to extend his point streak to three games overall (one goal, three assists) and enters Tuesday's tilt with six points (one goal, five assists) in his last four encounters versus Buffalo.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: Altitude, MSG-Buffalo

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (28-16-6): Andre Burakovsky has highlighted his four-game point streak (three goals, four assists) by collecting three straight multi-point performances for the second time this season. The 24-year-old Austrian, who had four consecutive multi-point efforts from Nov. 14-21, resides one goal shy of his career high of 17 set in 2015-16 with Washington. Fellow forward Nathan MacKinnon, who leads the team in goals (30) and assists (42), recorded three and two, respectively, as Colorado skated to a pair of lopsided wins over Buffalo last season.

ABOUT THE SABRES (23-22-7): While Buffalo snapped a three-game skid with Saturday's victory following Eichel's third overtime goal of the season and eighth career, the decision also halted a personal 12-game winless stretch (0-8-4) for Carter Hutton. The 22-save performance netted the 34-year-old goaltender his first victory since a 4-3 overtime win over San Jose on Oct. 22, a game that ended with Eichel scoring 3:13 into the extra session. Hutton, who yielded eight goals on 72 shots in a pair of losses to Colorado last season, is being looked upon to hold the fort with fellow goaltender Linus Ullmark expected to be sidelined most of the month with a right leg injury.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado D Nikita Zadorov has collected one goal and four assists during a career-high three-game point streak.

2. Buffalo C Sam Reinhart has collected 12 points (six goals, six assists) in his last 11 contests.

3. The Avalanche own a 7-1-1 record against Atlantic Division representatives this season.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Sabres 2