Preview: Blackhawks at Avalanche

[April 04, 2017]  The Chicago Blackhawks are in the enviable position of resting players down the stretch a bit as they begin a regular season-ending three-game road trip Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche. Chicago already wrapped up home-ice advantage in the Western Conference playoffs and a meeting with the worst wild-card team in the first round, but Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said he doesn't want to see his players take their collective foot completely off the gas.

"That’s the motivation right now, playing the right way defensively, trying to get four lines going and try to get some balance in ice time," Quenneville told reporters. "Keep everybody fresh, focused on what we need to do to be the best we can starting the following week. We want to make sure our habits and the simple things we're doing right." Chicago also meets playoff-bound Anaheim on Thursday and finishes its regular season against Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, when Quenneville can more control the minutes of his stars. Colorado plays out the string of the worst season in franchise history since 1991-92, when the Quebec Nordiques finished with 52 points. The Blackhawks won six of the last seven meetings, including three of four this season after a 6-3 victory March 19 in Chicago when captain Jonathan Toews scored twice to give him four goals versus the Avalanche in 2016-17 and 37 points in 36 career games.

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

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (50-22-7): Patrick Kane recorded a goal and five assists in the three games prior to being kept off the scoresheet in Sunday's 3-2 loss to Boston and is second in the NHL in points with 87 while leading the team in goals (34) and assists (53). Artemi Panarin (29 goals, 72 points) recorded five goals in his last four games and is one away from recording back-to-back 30-goal seasons to begin his NHL career. Marian Hossa (26 goals) scored in each of the two games prior to Sunday and his 525 career tallies are 34th all-time.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (21-54-3): Sven Andrighetto has three goals and four assists in his last six games, and recorded five goals and 12 points in 15 games since being acquired from Montreal. Rookie defenseman Anton Lindholm left Sunday's game after he sustained a cut on the head after crashing into the end boards, but is expected to play Tuesday. Rookie center Tyson Jost, the 10th overall pick in the 2016 draft, played 15 minutes, 56 seconds against Minnesota on Sunday after recording 13:25 of ice time in his NHL debut versus St. Louis on Friday, totaling three shots in the games.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado lost eight of its last nine games and won only 20 percent of its contests (12-45-3) since starting 9-9-0.

2. Panarin and D Duncan Keith (45 assists, 51 points) lead Chicago with a plus-22 rating while every Avalanche regular is a minus.

3. The Blackhawks are 1-for-16 on the power play in their last five games.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Avalanche 2

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