• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Landeskog set to return as Avs visit Kings

Feb 23, 2013 - 4:19 PM (Sports Network) - The Colorado Avalanche are expected to have captain Gabriel Landeskog back on the ice Saturday afternoon when they begin a three-game road trip with an outing against the Los Angeles Kings.

Landeskog, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, has missed 11 straight games due to head and leg injuries suffered against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 26. However, he was a full participant in team drills on Friday with contact and will travel with the club on its swing through Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose.

Landeskog had just a goal through the Avalanche's first four games after notching 22 goals and 33 assists over 82 games in his rookie campaign.

Colorado will hope his return sparks it to a third straight victory following Wednesday's 1-0 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues. Semyon Varlamov made 33 saves for his second shutout of the season and 10th of his career, while David Jones had the game-winner with 16.4 seconds on the clock.

"I just kind of took a step into the middle and I got a screen," Jones said of his first goal in 11 games. "I don't know if it hit anything. I'm just glad to get it in. What a relief."

Jones potted his sixth career overtime goal, the third most in franchise history. Milan Hejduk has a franchise-best nine, but is questionable for this game after suffering a torso injury in the second period on Wednesday.

Jones also had the winner in the Avalanche's 3-1 home win over the Kings back on Jan. 22, scoring on the power play at 2:35 of the third period. It came 1:35 after Landeskog had tied the game with his lone goal this season.

The victory was Colorado's fifth in a row over Los Angeles following a sweep of last season's four-game series and the Avs have taken their past two on the road versus the Kings.

Los Angeles begins a stretch of three straight and eight of its next nine at home following a 3-1 triumph over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Backup netminder Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves to win his third straight start, while Jeff Carter scored his fourth goal in six games and added an assist.

"We had a good start and that's what we wanted," Kings forward Anze Kopitar said. "I thought our pace of play was pretty good throughout."

Trevor Lewis and Dustin Brown also scored for the Kings, who have won four of their last five, taking the final two of a three-game swing.