Colorado @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2019 ) Chicago 2, Colorado 4

The Colorado Avalanche hope to strengthen their position in the Western Conference wild-card race as they attempt to complete a home-and-home sweep when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Colorado posted a 4-2 home victory over Chicago on Saturday to extend its winning streak to four games and move one point ahead of both Minnesota and Arizona for the second wild card.

Colin Wilson recorded a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who have allowed a total of four goals during their string of wins. Colorado has seven games remaining and sits six points ahead of the Blackhawks, who own one game in hand but have dropped three straight contests (0-2-1) after winning five in a row. Patrick Kane leads Chicago with 102 points - four shy of the career high he set in 2015-16 - after notching his personal-best 61st assist in Saturday's setback. The 30-year-old ranks among the league leaders with 41 goals but is mired in a five-game drought and has tallied just once in his last 10 contests.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (34-29-12): Colorado was without its second-leading scorer Saturday as Mikko Rantanen missed his first game of the season due to an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old Finn, who has recorded a team-best 56 assists and 87 points - both career highs - also will sit out Sunday's rematch with Chicago. Captain Gabriel Landeskog (upper body), who has registered personal bests of 33 goals and 69 points, has been sidelined for seven consecutive contests.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (32-32-10): Defenseman Erik Gustafsson tallied in Saturday's loss to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games. The 27-year-old Swede ranks fourth on the team with 53 points and has registered one in five of his last six contests (three goals, two assists). Captain Jonathan Toews, who also scored on Saturday, is closing in on some personal bests as he is two goals away from matching the career high of 34 he recorded in 2008-09 and needs two points to tie the mark of 76 he posted in 2010-11.

OVERTIME

1. The Avalanche scored twice in the third period on Saturday to set the single-season team record for most goals in the session (98), eclipsing the previous mark of 96 set in 1996-97.

2. Chicago has been limited to fewer than three goals in each of its last four games.

3. Colorado C Nathan MacKinnon needs to register four shots to break the franchise record of 339 set in 1995-96 by Joe Sakic.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Avalanche 2