Preview: Blackhawks at Avalanche

[November 26, 2014]  The Chicago Blackhawks have been in an all-or-nothing mode offensively in the past two weeks and hope to return to the former when they continue their six-game circus trip with a visit to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. The Blackhawks have won five of their last seven games, pumping in a combined 25 victories while the two setbacks have come back identical 4-1 scores. Chicago was unable to solve the Avalanche last season, losing four of the five meetings while being held to two goals or fewer four times.

Colorado is on its best run of the season and showing a flair for the dramatic in doing so, winning four of its last five games - all of which have been decided by one goal. The Avalanche rallied from an early three-goal deficit to post a 4-3 victory at Arizona on Tuesday to run their road winning streak to three games. Coach Patrick Roy will give rookie netminder Calvin Pickard his second career start after a second straight dismal performance by Reto Berra, who was yanked after allowing three goals on eight shots Tuesday.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (12-8-1): Andrew Shaw is poised to return to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury and coach Joel Quenneville is expecting a boost from his fourth-year center, even though Shaw has only two points in 12 games. "We like the way he plays," Quenneville said. "He gives our team a lot of different dimensions, net-front presence on the power play, scrappy guy in the puck area (and) he has a lot of skill to complement that as well." Forward Daniel Carcillo also is expected to rejoin the team after flying back to Chicago for the birth of his son on Monday.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (8-9-5): Pickard, who was called up from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League when Semyon Varlamov aggravated a groin injury, stopped all 25 shots Tuesday after turning away all 17 he faced in relief Saturday, allowing Colorado to come back from early deficits in both contests. The Avalanche could be without defenseman Erik Johnson, who took a hard shot to the head from Arizona's Martin Hanzal and appeared to be knocked unconscious, although Roy said he seemed fine after the game. Johnson, who has a point in four of the past five games, will be evaluated for a concussion.

OVERTIME

1. Blackhawks G Corey Crawford is 2-6-2 with a 3.36 goals-against average versus Colorado.

2. Colorado has won back-to-back games in which it faced a multi-goal deficit for the first time since Feb 21-23, 1997.

3. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has 12 goals and 13 assists in 25 games against the Avalanche.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Avalanche 2

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