Preview: Blackhawks at Avalanche

[February 02, 2016]  The All-Star Game came at an opportune time for the slumping Chicago Blackhawks, who kick off "the second half" of the regular season by visiting the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Chicago, which has the second-most points in the NHL with 70 behind Washington's 74 and leads the Central Division by three over Dallas, was outscored 11-3 in losing three of four contests prior to the break after winning a franchise-record 12 consecutive contests.

"The best thing to do right now is probably get away from the game for a few days and relax and get ready for the late push here," Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who leads the NHL with 30 goals and 43 assists, told reporters after a 5-0 loss in Carolina on Jan. 26. "When we come back, we should have a sour taste in our mouth after these last (four) games." Chicago will be without captain Jonathan Toews, who is suspended for one contest because he missed the All-Star Game (illness). Colorado holds the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference after winning five of its last six games and hopes to have No. 1 goaltender Semyon Varlamov back. The Russian missed the last two contests while participating in a civil trial involving an alleged domestic violence incident with his then-girlfriend in 2013 after prosecutors did not file a kidnapping charge against Varlamov and later dropped a misdemeanor assault charge.

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

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (33-16-4): Kane is on track to become the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's top point-getter. “Don’t want to look too far ahead or shed any light on what could be in the future,” Kane, who served as Central Division captain in the All-Star Game, told reporters. “I think right now I’m just trying to take it game by game. I’m enjoying it right now and not trying to think too far ahead.'' Chicago also has a top Calder Trophy candidate in left wing Artemi Panarin, whose 17 goals and 46 points pace NHL rookies while thriving on a line with Kane and Artem Anisimov (17 goals).

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (27-22-3): Center Matt Duchene, Colorado's lone All-Star representative, boasts team bests of 23 goals and 43 points and is excited about the Avalanche's postseason prospects. "Hopefully, we're able to get in. We're in a good spot right now," Duchene told the Denver Post. "Hopefully, we can hold where we are and I can get past the first round of the playoffs with this team I've been with for seven years, and a team I want to win a Cup with very badly. It's driving me every day." Center Carl Soderberg has a club-most 26 assists and is on pace for a career-best 57 points while fellow Swede and captain Gabriel Landeskog has three goals in his last three games, including two in Colorado's 4-3 come-from-behind victory at Los Angeles on Wednesday.

OVERTIME

1. Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa, who is six goals shy of becoming the 44th player in NHL history to reach 500, has increased his point total in each month after registering three goals and five assists in January to raise his season totals to eight and 17.

2. Avalanche RW Jarome Iginla, who became the 19th player in NHL history to reach 600 goals earlier this season and has 602, has a team-high minus-17 rating with the next-worst regulars (LW Landeskog, D Tyson Barrie) minus-4.

3. Chicago won the last two meetings, including 6-3 on Jan. 10 behind two goals apiece from Kane and Hossa, after Colorado won the previous four encounters.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Avalanche 2

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