• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rangers-Avalanche Preview

Jan 31, 2010 - 5:46 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

New York (24-23-7) at Colorado (30-17-6), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Craig Anderson hasn't surrendered many goals in Colorado over the past two weeks, and the Avalanche haven't lost to the New York Rangers on home ice in more than a decade.

None of this bodes well for the Rangers' sputtering offense.

Anderson, expected to make his ninth consecutive start for Colorado, looks to continue his outstanding play at home Sunday night against New York, which looks to avoid its first six-game skid in more than three years.

Anderson has been a workhorse this season for Colorado (30-17-6), starting all six home games this month and 45 overall. He stopped 28 shots in Friday's 3-2 loss at Dallas after allowing one goal or less in each of his previous five starts - all at home.

Matt Duchene and T.J. Galiardi scored for the Avalanche, who have lost back-to-back games following a season-best six-game winning streak. They haven't lost three straight since Nov. 25-28.

Colorado seems to have a good chance to get a win in its return to the Pepsi Center, where Anderson is 5-3-0 with a 1.39 goals-against average and two shutouts in his last eight games.

In his only career start against New York on Nov. 28, 2008, Anderson - then with Florida - turned away 43 shots in a 4-3 shootout loss.

Colorado and the Rangers (24-24-7) met last February at Madison Square Garden, where New York won 6-1 to snap a seven-game losing streak in the series. It was the Rangers' first win over the Avalanche since Nov. 20, 2001, but it's been even longer since their last victory in Denver.

The Avalanche have won five consecutive home games over New York following a 6-3 loss on Dec. 31, 1998. This will be the first meeting at the Pepsi Center since Colorado's 4-3 victory on Dec. 21, 2007.

The Rangers arrive there after Saturday's 3-2 loss at Phoenix that matched a season high five-game losing streak. Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored third-period goals for New York, which ended a 202-minute road scoreless streak with 10:18 remaining.

"We stayed with it and got rewarded at the end, just not enough," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We battled hard, we regrouped and we made a game out of it."

Despite the late rally, New York's offense has been awful during the skid, combining for just five goals while scoring two or less in each game. The Rangers, who haven't lost six in a row since a seven-game skid from Dec. 16-29, 2006, are 2-7-1 since Jan. 12, tallying 14 goals in the victories but only six in the defeats.

An ineffective power play has been a big reason for this offensive drought, and getting it back on track against the Avalanche won't be easy.

New York has failed to score on all 16 opportunities with the man advantage during the losing streak, while Colorado has killed 27 of 28 chances over the last seven games.

The Rangers also might have to play a second straight game without No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who was out Saturday with the flu after starting 26 of 28 games since Nov. 30. Rookie Chad Johnson, making just his third start of the season, made 21 saves against the Coyotes.