Colorado Hosts Detroit in Matinee Matchup

The Colorado Avalanche closes out a two-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Red Wings before hitting the road for one game.
This will be the second and final meeting between the Red Wings and Avalanche. Colorado faced Detroit only once this campaign, edging the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime in the Avs' first trip to Little Caesars Arena.
The Burgundy and Blue are 30-41-6 against the Red Wings since the 1995-96 campaign with a 14-19-5 record at Pepsi Center.

Last Time Out

Colorado fell 4-2 to the Western Conference-leading Nashville Predators at Pepsi Center on Friday. The loss ended a nine game point streak for the Avalanche who were on a 6-0-3 stretch entering Friday night's matchup. Nathan MacKinnon (one goal) and Tyson Barrie (one assist) each extended their point streaks and Gabriel Landeskog recorded a goal for the Avalanche. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves in the effort.
The Red Wings fell 4-2 to the Anaheim Ducks Friday night, Detroit's fifth straight loss. The Red Wings went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill but could not capitalize on five man-advantage chances of their own. Detroit received goals from Mike Green and Gustav Nyquist while goaltender Jimmy Howard made 32 saves in the effort.

Last Time They Met

The Avalanche took on the Red Wings on Nov. 19 and skated out of Little Caesers Arena with a 4-3 overtime victory. Despite falling 3-1 midway through the third period, Colorado battled back and tied the game with less than a minute remaining to force overtime. Nathan MacKinnon notched the winning tally in the extra frame and Carl Soderberg, Nail Yakupov and Erik Johnson each netted a goal of their own to secure the win. Tyson Barrie tallied two helpers in the win and Jonathan Bernier made 21 saves to help his team to victory.

What To Watch

Afternoon Delight
The Colorado Avalanche has faired well in afternoon games this year, going 3-1-1 in matinee contests at Pepsi Center. The outing against Detroit marks the sixth of seven afternoon affairs in the Mile High City this season, and the third of four during the month of March. After Sunday's contest, the Avalanche will have one more matinee matchup in the 2017-18 campaign, hosting the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Continued Streaks
While the club's nine-game point streak came to an end on Friday, Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to 11 games with a goal in the loss. It is the second longest-streak of his career as he had 13 straight games during his rookie season in 2013-14. In addition to MacKinnon, Tyson Barrie extended his streak to nine games with the primary assist on MacKinnon's goal. Barrie's run is the longest by an NHL defenseman this season. Mikko Rantanen also extended his point streak to five games (three goals, eight assists).

Player To Watch

Colorado: Defenseman Tyson Barrie
Tyson Barrie's current nine-game point streak has him tied for the longest point streak by a defenseman in Avalanche history. Both John-Michael Liles and Kevin Shattenkirk produced nine-game streaks in the 2010-11 campaign. Barrie also has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in his last 12 games, the most by an NHL defenseman since Feb. 20.
Detroit: Right Wing Gustav Nyquist
The Red Wings right wing Gustav Nyquist has 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists) in 71 games this season. Nyquist has tallied a goal in each of his last three games and has four points over that span. Nyquist tallied an assist in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Avalanche in Detroit on Nov. 19.

Lineup Notes

Goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to start for the fourth game in a row and appear in his 17th consecutive game. Forward Vladislav Kamenev was on a conditioning assignment with the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and was recalled Saturday afternoon.

The Details

Sunday's afternoon tilt is slated to begin at 1 p.m. MT at Pepsi Center. The game can be watched live on Altitude TV or can be heard live on Altitude Sports Radio AM 950 or online at ColoradoAvalanche.com.