Chicago @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 30, 2018 ) Chicago 0, Colorado 5

The Colorado Avalanche attempt to complete their four-game homestand with a winning record when they host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. Colorado split the first two contests of its string at Pepsi Center before rallying for a 2-1 triumph over Montreal on Wednesday.

The Avalanche fell behind in the first period, but Mikko Rantanen forged a tie early in the second before helping set up captain Gabriel Landeskog's team-leading 23rd goal 35 seconds into the third. Rantanen, a 22-year-old right wing from Finland who was playing in his 200th NHL game, is three points ahead of teammate Nathan MacKinnon for the NHL scoring lead with 58 and has landed on the scoresheet in 15 of his last 16 contests - collecting nine goals and 20 assists in that span. Chicago is seeking its initial three-game winning streak of the season after posting a 5-2 victory in Dallas on Thursday, giving it back-to-back wins for the first time since Oct. 23 and 25. Patrick Kane scored twice to end his five-game drought and overtake captain Jonathan Toews for the team lead with 17 goals.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet360, NBCS Chicago Plus, Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (12-19-6): Kane, who also notched an assist against the Stars to give him a club-leading 42 points, has tallied in only two of his last 13 games - with both occurrences being two-goal performances. The sophomore jinx appears to have avoided striking Alex DeBrincat, who began the season with a seven-game point streak and is surging again after a cooling-off period. The 21-year-old has recorded at least one point in 11 of his last 15 contests, collecting six goals and seven assists in that span - including a tally and two assists on Thursday.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (19-10-6): MacKinnon is riding a seven-game point streak during which he has notched two goals and 10 assists. The 23-year-old has not been kept off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests since Oct. 27 and Nov. 1, registering 13 multi-point performances in 22 contests since - including a pair of four-point efforts. Colorado will be without Nikita Zadorov for the next two games due to what coach Jared Bednar described as a "muscular tweak" in his lower body.

OVERTIME

1. Linemates Rantanen and MacKinnon entered Thursday tied for the league lead in multi-point performances with 18 apiece while Landeskog has scored nine goals in his last 11 contests, including four during his three-game streak.

2. Kane increased his career total to 236 even-strength goals on Thursday, moving him past Steve Larmer for fifth place on the franchise list.

3. Colorado G Philipp Grubauer, who is 8-0-3 in his last 11 starts, is expected to be in the crease on Friday while Semyon Varlamov will get the start in Arizona the following night.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Blackhawks 3