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Predators-Avalanche Preview

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:17 PM By TOM CASTRO STATS Senior Editor

Nashville (13-8-1) at Colorado (14-7-3), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Avalanche avoided a season-high third straight loss in their latest game. Earning a second consecutive win might be difficult with the hottest team in the NHL coming to town.

The inconsistent Avalanche brace for a matchup with the Nashville Predators, who bring a six-game winning streak into the Pepsi Center on Wednesday night.

Colorado (14-7-3) has maintained a tenuous hold on the top spot in the Northwest Division, defeating Philadelphia 5-4 on Monday night to extend its lead to two points. The Avs built a three-goal lead late in the second period, then hung on as they were outscored 2-0 and outshot 19-4 in the third.

Craig Anderson made 17 of his 30 saves in the final 20 minutes, while David Jones finished with two goals and Paul Stastny added a goal and two assists.

"I thought for 50 minutes we were skating well, we were playing our game," coach Joe Sacco said. "We had a power play around the 10-minute mark, and that's where you have to have that killer instinct and make it 6-2."

No team has had a more keen killer instinct of late than the Predators (13-8-1), winners of six in a row and 10 of 12. Nashville closed a five-game homestand with a 3-1 home victory over Detroit on Monday night.

Martin Erat scored twice for the Predators, whose roll started with the return of J.P. Dumont to the top line with Jason Arnott and Steve Sullivan.

"We're just playing better and just putting everything together," Erat said. "The power play's playing better. The penalty kill is doing better, and 5-on-5, they don't score any goals against us."

The Predators beat the best team from both the Western and Eastern Conference during the homestand, defeating San Jose and New Jersey.

"It's been kind of growing and growing," goalie Pekka Rinne said. "The confidence is the biggest thing and right now we have a good thing going, and hopefully we can keep it going."

Rinne made 16 of his 30 saves in the third period Monday and has been in net for each game of the win streak, posting a 1.62 goals-against average.

Nashville last won seven in a row during a franchise-record nine-game run from Oct. 5-25, 2005.

The reunited line of Dumont, Sullivan and Arnott has powered Nashville during the last six games, recording seven goals and eight assists. The Predators also have benefited from a red-hot power play, scoring at least one goal with the man advantage in the past five contests and going 8 for 24 during that stretch.

The Predators scored two power-play goals in each of the last two games.

Colorado is 7-2-0 at home, but lost two of its last three there. The Avs are 2-4-1 in their last seven and allowed 19 goals in their three most recent defeats.

Colorado won five of the last eight meetings with Nashville, though the Predators averted a third consecutive loss in the series with a 3-2 home victory in the most recent matchup Oct. 8. The Avs have taken two straight and five of seven in Denver.