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Avalanche-Blues Preview

Dec 6, 2009 - 10:19 PM By TOM CASTRO STATS Senior Editor

Colorado (16-9-6) at St. Louis (12-10-5), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Avalanche averted a third straight loss in their last game, thanks in part to a reversed call. Now the Avs will try to win back-to-back games for the first time in more than a month when they face the St. Louis Blues, who have dominated them of late.

The Avalanche look to snap a three-game skid against the Blues when the teams meet at Scottrade Center on Monday night.

Colorado (16-9-6) is coming off a 3-2 victory over Columbus on Saturday night, as Jason Chimera's tying goal with 13.7 seconds left was waived off when it was ruled the puck crossed under a lifted net and did not go in between the posts.

"I didn't know the net was off when it originally happened," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. "Then we got from our video guy that it looked like the puck went underneath when the net came off. I was pretty relieved when I heard that."

Wojtek Wolski had a goal and an assist for Colorado, 4-6-4 since it last won consecutive games Nov. 4 and 6.

The Avs also got another strong effort from Peter Budaj, who made 29 saves and added an assist in his second consecutive start since No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson suffered a neck injury.

Budaj allowed two goals in each of those games.

"We're happy that we won and Peter played so great," said Wolski, who has two goals and five assists during a six-game point streak. "I know it's very hard for him to step in the way he did. He's been practicing hard and playing hard. It's paying off now."

Colorado, 2-1-1 on a five-game road trip, will face a St. Louis club that has won four of the last five meetings and eight of 12. The Blues outscored the Avs 10-3 in taking the last three matchups and won 1-0 in the most recent meeting April 12, with Chris Mason making 28 saves.

St. Louis has won five of the last six games at home in the series.

The Blues have won two straight, both in shootouts, and are 6-2-1 since Nov. 19. St. Louis beat Los Angeles 5-4 on Saturday as Paul Kariya scored twice in the final 9 minutes, and Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes had goals in the first two rounds of the shootout.

Kariya has scored four goals in his last five games following a 14-game drought.

"To be honest, I think I was playing really good hockey through that 14-game stretch - and for whatever reason, the puck wasn't going in," Kariya said. "But I've always said if I'm getting opportunities and I'm getting my shots, sooner or later they were going to go in. And it's starting to come now."

Mason recorded six of his 36 saves in overtime before thwarting Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson in the shootout. He is 6-3-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average versus Colorado.