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Avs follow busy day with road test against Sharks

Feb 19, 2011 - 4:29 PM (Sports Network) - The sliding Colorado Avalanche are hoping their recent roster shake-up will have a positive effect tonight when they visit the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion.

The Avalanche have lost nine straight games, posting an 0-8-1 record since their last win on Jan. 24 against St. Louis, and the slide may have pushed the club to make a pair of trades over the last 24 hours.

First on Friday morning, Colorado dealt netminder Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for Senators goaltender Brian Elliott. Then, in the early hours on Saturday morning, the Avalanche pulled off a blockbuster deal with St. Louis, as Colorado acquired former No. 1 overall pick Eric Johnson and center Jay McClement from the Blues.

The 25-year old Elliott was Ottawa's primary netminder this season, compiling a record of 13-19-8 with a 3.19 GAA and three shutouts in 43 games for the Eastern Conference's worst team. Elliott helped the Senators reach the playoffs last season after notching a record of 29-18-4 with a 2.57 GAA and five shutouts in 55 games.

"I'm definitely excited for the challenge, and change can bring excitement and a different attitude to a season that hasn't gone the way we thought it would [in Ottawa]," Elliott told Colorado's official team site on Friday.

Elliott is not expected to be in the lineup for Colorado tonight, so Peter Budaj will likely get the call in net and veteran John Grahame will serve as the backup.

It's unclear if Johnson or McClement will be available for tonight's contest. Johnson, 22, was selected first overall by the Blues in the 2006 draft and the young defenseman had posted five goals and 14 assists through 55 games this season.

McClement has six goals and 10 assists this year and he has played in at least 81 games in each of the last four seasons.

Unlike Colorado, the Sharks have been playing their best hockey of the year in recent weeks and San Jose also made a trade Friday to try and help the club in its push to the postseason.

The Sharks acquired defenseman Ian White from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2012 draft. White collected two goals and 16 points in 55 games with Calgary and Carolina this season. He was dealt from the Flames on November 17 in a four-player deal. White could play tonight for San Jose.

San Jose, which has won two straight and is 11-2-1 in its last 14 games, enters tonight with 70 points, tying the Sharks with Nashville and for the Western Conference's fourth seed. The Sharks are also just one point behind Phoenix for first place in the Pacific Division. The Coyotes and Predators will meet tonight in Nashville.

Colorado, meanwhile, is 14th in the West and 11 points out of a playoff spot.

The Sharks and Avs have split a pair of games this season, but tonight marks the first meeting in San Jose. Colorado has lost four straight and six of its last seven at the Shark Tank. San Jose has also taken seven of 10 overall in this series.

San Jose posted a 3-2 win Thursday night against the visiting Washington Capitals. Dany Heatley's third-period goal proved to be the difference for the Sharks.

Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe also scored for the Sharks, who improved to 14-10-3 as the host this season. Antti Niemi made 23 saves in the win.

"We have production coming from everywhere and that's why were finding ourselves on top," Pavelski said.

Colorado may have lost its ninth straight game in Wednesday's overtime loss to visiting Pittsburgh, but the Avs were able to earn a point for the first time since the Jan. 24 win over the Blues. Tyler Kennedy scored with 50 seconds left in OT to give the Penguins the 3-2 victory at the Pepsi Center.

Cameron Gaunce had his first NHL goal in the loss and Chris Stewart notched the other tally for the Avs, who last lost nine straight during a franchise- record 14-game slide from Oct. 21-Nov. 19, 1990 when the club was in Quebec.

Budaj made 33 stops in Wednesday's setback and he is 3-5-1 with a 2.99 GAA in nine career games against the Sharks.

Colorado, which is playing two straight and five of its next six games on the road, has lost its last four games as the guest and is 11-12-3 away from Denver this season.