Final
Avalanche-Oilers Preview
Feb 19, 2016 - 6:33 PM Jarome Iginla is enjoying his most successful offensive stretch of the season, and lately it's helped the Colorado Avalanche rebound from a rough start to February.Iginla tries to continue his solid play Saturday night when the Avalanche visit his native Edmonton looking to extend the Oilers' recent misery.
With 17 goals and 17 assists in 60 games, it hasn't been all that productive of a season for the 38-year-old Iginla. He started strong with 11 points in the first 12 games then registered only 14 in the next 41.
Iginla went six straight contests without a point before totaling four goals and five assists in the last seven.
"When Jarome is around the net, it helps our team," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche's official website after Iginla scored the tying and go-ahead goals in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Montreal.
Iginla's most recent effort helped Colorado (30-26-4) snap an 0-3-1 home slide in its first four games of the month. Owner of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, the Avs have won three of four overall since that skid.
''We needed to get back on the winning side and being at home we needed to build something again,'' Iginla said.
Colorado's two-game trip through Western Canada begins in Iginla's hometown of Edmonton, where it's won six of eight. Iginla has five goals and five assists in his last six trips there with the Avs, Boston and Calgary.
He also scored in Colorado's 5-1 home victory over the Oilers (22-31-6) on Dec. 19.
Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves in that one but is slated to start Sunday in Vancouver while Calvin Pickard will be in net for this contest.
Pickard, who will make his eighth start this season, has a 3.58 goals-against average while losing three of his last four. He's hoping to stick around with the Avs even though backup Reto Berra is nearing his return from an ankle injury that's sidelined him since Dec. 9.
"Right now, the focus should not be on our goaltenders because we know which one is our No. 1," Roy said. "That's A, and B, we want to make the playoffs. Our focus is more on that than who is going be back, who is going to be the backup, who is going to do this. Right now, it is not very important to me."
The Oilers have had a tough time keeping pucks out the net while yielding 28 non-shootout goals during a 1-5-1 stretch. Those seven opponents have gone 8 for 30 in the power play.
Cam Talbot has a 3.72 GAA while going 1-4-0 in six games, and was responsible for seven of the 10 goals Edmonton allowed in the last two.
Minnesota scored the final three Thursday to send the Oilers to a third consecutive defeat, 5-2 at home.
''When losses start to pile up there is always going to be that sense of frustration,'' Talbot said. ''We just have to keep working, pushing forward and focus on doing the little things right.''
With a goal against the Wild, teammate Connor McDavid has five and nine assists in nine games since missing almost three months with a broken clavicle.
- COLORADO: 3
EDMONTON: 2
Final
Feb 21 12:39 AM - COLORADO: 3
EDMONTON: 2
End of Regulation
Feb 21 12:39 AM - End of 3rd Period.
Feb 21 12:39 AM - Goal scored by Benoit Pouliot assisted by Jordan Eberle and Connor McDavid
Avalanche 3, Oilers 2 3rd - 1:41Feb 21 12:35 AM - Goal scored by Tyson Barrie assisted by Alex Tanguay and Gabriel Landeskog
Avalanche 3, Oilers 1 3rd - 16:11Feb 21 12:04 AM - End of 2nd Period.
Feb 20 11:42 PM - Goal scored by Tyson Barrie assisted by Jarome Iginla and Matt Duchene
Avalanche 2, Oilers 1 2nd - 18:37Feb 20 11:07 PM - End of 1st Period.
Feb 20 10:47 PM - Goal scored by John Mitchell assisted by Blake Comeau and Tyson Barrie
Avalanche 1, Oilers 1 1st - 8:41Feb 20 10:30 PM - Goal scored by Taylor Hall assisted by Leon Draisaitl and Teddy Purcell
Avalanche 0, Oilers 1 1st - 12:46Feb 20 10:24 PM - COLORADO: 0
EDMONTON: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Feb 20 10:15 PM - Nathan MacKinnon won faceoff against Leon Draisaitl in neutral zone
Feb 20 10:10 PM
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