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Sliding Canucks welcome Avs to BC

Nov 24, 2010 - 4:26 PM (Sports Network) - The Colorado Avalanche will try to stretch their season- best winning streak to five straight games this evening. They will do so against a Northwest Division-rival Vancouver Canucks squad that is on its longest losing streak of the season but has gotten the best of the Avs so far this year.

Colorado nearly had its current win streak stopped at three games on Saturday as they blew a three-goal lead against Dallas, but recovered to post a 4-3 shootout win. Kevin Porter had the deciding tally in the extra session, snapping a wrister past Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen in the fifth round.

Milan Hejduk scored two power-play goals in regulation and Peter Budaj made 26 saves for Colorado, which had wrapped up a perfect three-game homestand the previous night before kicking off a three-game swing with a victory.

"We were pretty worn down. We had six games in nine nights, and we came in here and we knew we had to have a lot of energy," said Porter, who had scored in three straight games. "We did that, they came at us hard in the third and tied it up, but we came away with two points."

Colorado, which is 6-3-1 as the road team this year, hasn't won five straight since a six-game win streak from Jan. 9-24.

The Avalanche lead the Canucks by two points for first place in the division, but have dropped both meetings with the club this year and six of the last nine matchups overall. Colorado's 4-3 overtime loss in Vancouver on Oct. 26 was its sixth in its last 10 trips to Rogers Arena.

Colorado defenseman John-Michael Liles had two assists versus the Stars to give him six helpers and nine points over his last six games. However, he has been held to just three assists in his last 10 contests versus Vancouver.

Craig Anderson is expected to start in net for the Avalanche tonight in what will be his second game since missing 10 straight with a knee injury. He returned to action on Nov. 19 and made 25 saves in a win over the Rangers, but is just 2-8-1 with a 3.52 goals-against average lifetime when facing the Canucks.

Vancouver will be looking to snap a season-worst four-game slide (0-3-1) tonight that includes a setback in each of the first two contests of a four- game homestand. The Canucks had been 6-0-1 at Rogers Arena before beginning the residency with a 7-1 loss to the Blackhawks on Saturday. They then hosted the Coyotes the following day and suffered a closer 3-2 setback.

Roberto Luongo made 25 saves and both Tanner Glass and Christian Ehrhoff scored goals for the Canucks, who are on their longest skid since an 0-5-3 stretch from Jan. 9-31, 2009.

"We came out and played hard, but the bounces didn't go our way," Canucks forward Alex Burrows said.

Defenseman Keith Ballard missed his second game with the flu, but could return to action tonight.

Though Luongo is 4-0-1 in his last five games against the Avalanche, he is just 11-15-4 with a 2.93 GAA versus them lifetime.