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Avs and Oilers clash in Edmonton

Jan 31, 2012 - 4:15 PM (Sports Network) - A loss a week ago knocked the Colorado Avalanche out of the playoff picture. They'll try to rebound tonight and snap the Edmonton Oilers' six-game home point streak in this series.

The Avalanche entered the All-Star break off consecutive 3-2 losses to Anaheim and Minnesota. Their loss to the Wild a week ago put them a point behind Minnesota for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

Colorado is trying to hold on until center Matt Duchene is ready to return to action. He hasn't played since Dec. 29 because of a right knee injury that was slated to sideline him for at least a month. Duchene has 12 goals and 24 points on the season.

Ryan O'Reilly, who missed Colorado's final game before the break due to illness, has stepped up and leads Colorado with 14 goals, 22 assists and 36 points, while goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere continues to impress between the pipes. Giguere was brought in to backup preseason No. 1 Semyon Varlamov, but started Colorado's final four games before the time off and is 12-8-1 with a 2.15 goals-against average and .921 save percentage this year compared to Varlamov's numbers of 14-15-1 with a 3.00 GAA and .899 save percentage.

Colorado, which will return home for four straight following this game, is also excited about what Peter Mueller may do in the second half. The forward has three goals and an assist in 10 games after missing all of last year and a large chunk of this season due to a concussion.

The Oilers have a lot more ground to make up as they sit 14th out of 15 teams in the West with 41 points. That is 14 back of a postseason position.

Edmonton has lost four of five and nine of its past 11 games while recording only six victories since the start of December. The Oilers have also been hit hard by injuries this year and come into the second half with Ryan Nugent- Hopkins (left shoulder), Tom Gilbert (right knee) and Cam Barker (left ankle) still on the sideline.

Jordan Eberle has been a force for the Oilers this year and leads the club with 18 goals, 27 assists and 45 points. He logged an assist for Team Chara in Sunday's 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson in the All-Star Game.

Eberle had a goal and an assist, while Sam Gagner scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Avalanche on Dec. 9 in the lone meeting between the clubs so far in Edmonton this year. The Oilers are 4-0-2 in their past six at home versus the Avs.

Colorado and Edmonton split a pair of encounters in Denver earlier this season.