Vancouver @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 2, 2018 ) Colorado 6, Vancouver 7

The wheels could be turning a bit slower than usual when the Colorado Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in a matchup of teams that haven't played since Jan. 23 because of a combined NHLPA-mandated/All-Star break. Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, who avoided a one-game suspension by participating in All-Star Game festivities but did not compete because of a foot injury, is expected to play.

The Avalanche and Canucks are in a virtual tie for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and while Colorado is in reach of third place in the Central Division, Vancouver is well out of the top three in the Pacific. "We need to be better," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told reporters after a 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Jan. 23. "... I think everybody realizes what position we're in and what needs to be done when we get back. Nothing needs to be said." The Canucks are also coming off a 5-2 loss Jan. 23 - against Carolina - with Bo Horvat telling reporters: "We've got to be a lot better coming back from the break if we're going to make a run for it." Vancouver prevailed in the first of three meetings this season 7-6 on Nov. 2 with Derrick Pouliot scoring in overtime, and Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson recording two goals apiece along with a total of five assists.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet360, Sportsnet One, City (Vancouver), Altitude2 (Colorado)

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (23-22-6): Pettersson leads rookies with 23 goals and 45 points - both team highs - and shrugged off a five-game absence because of a knee sprain with a goal and two assists in his last two contests. Horvat is second on the club with 18 goals and 41 points but has scored only once in the last 13 games while Boeser (16, 34) boasts a goal and four assists in his last three games. Jacob Markstrom went 3-3-2 with a 2.95 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in January after going 8-1-0, 1.66, .943 in December.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (22-20-8): MacKinnon was supposed to join linemates Mikko Rantanen and Landeskog on the ice at the All-Star game but the unit, which has combined for an NHL-most 199 points, will likely reunite Saturday. Carl Soderberg (17 goals) and J.T. Compher (10) are the only other double-figure scorers on the team as the top line has produced 46.7 percent of the club's goals. Tyson Barrie (39 points) has recorded two goals and 13 assists in his last 12 games and needs one goal to tie John-Michael Liles (68) for second-most by a defenseman in Colorado/Quebec history.

OVERTIME

1. Vancouver is 1-for-21 on the power play over the last eight games while Colorado is 4-for-15 in the past four contests.

2. MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog are a combined plus-47 while the rest of the Avalanche is minus-42.

3. Canucks LW Antoine Roussel leads the league with 112 penalty minutes after racking up 14 versus Carolina.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Canucks 2