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Undefeated Leafs host Avs in battle of streaking clubs

Oct 17, 2011 - 2:48 PM (Sports Network) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will put their unbeaten record on the line tonight when they host the streaking Colorado Avalanche at Air Canada Centre.

The Maple Leafs have opened the season with three straight wins for the second consecutive year and can match last year's 4-0-0 start with another victory tonight.

One big reason for Toronto's unbeaten start has been the play of winger Phil Kessel, who has already recorded eight points in three games. Kessel has five goals on the year and all of those scores have come over his last two outings.

Kessel notched a hat trick in Toronto's second game of the year on Oct. 8 and added two more tallies in this past Saturday's 3-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames.

Kessel also had an assist and Joffrey Lupul scored the other goal for the Leafs, while James Reimer was solid in net, stopping 30-of-32 shots.

"They're just going in," Kessel said. "I am playing with some great linemates and they're giving me the puck and we're clicking."

Tyler Bozak has been centering Kessel and Lupul on the top line and the trio has combined for 16 points and a plus-18 rating through three games.

Tim Connolly was originally expected to center the top line for Toronto, but the American is still battling a shoulder injury that has caused him to miss all three of Toronto's games this year. Connolly, who sat out 14 games for Buffalo last year, was signed in the offseason to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. Connolly is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least another week of action.

Colorado began 2011-12 with a home loss to Detroit, but the Avalanche have since rattled off four consecutive victories. All four of those wins have come on the road and tonight's tilt is the final stop on a five-game trip.

The Avalanche's latest triumph came Saturday in Montreal as Milan Hejduk scored the game-winner in the first round of the shootout, helping Colorado to the 6-5 decision.

David Jones had two goals and an assist for the Avalanche, who are off to a 4-0-0 start on the road for the first time since the 1985-86 season.

Paul Stastny and Kyle Quincey added a goal and an assist each for Colorado, which has won four in a row for the first time since a six-game tear from December 10-19 of last season.

Semyon Varlamov turned aside 38-of-43 shots for the victors.

"I think we were playing very well tonight. It was a good match for the fans," Varlamov said.

Colorado will return to Denver for its next outing, as the Avs are set to host Chicago on Thursday to kick off a home-and-home series with the Blackhawks.

The Avalanche hope forward Peter Mueller can return to the ice soon after he sat out the last two tilts with an undisclosed injury. The centerman missed all of last season with concussion symptoms and the fact that Colorado has consulted Boston-based neurologist Dr. Robert Cantu about this injury suggests that Mueller may be bothered by head issues again.

Still, Colorado is not saying much about the extent of the injury and the Avs are still listing Mueller as day-to-day.

The Avalanche have won three of five and four of the last seven meetings in this series. Colorado has also earned wins in two straight and three of its last four trips to Toronto.