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Avalanche look for rare home victory over Predators

Dec 15, 2007 - 4:03 PM Nashville (14-13-2) at Colorado (17-13-1) 9:00 pm EST

DENVER (Ticker) - A 12-3-0 record at home this season has been one of the main reasons the Colorado Avalanche is near the top of the Northwest Division.

Yet the team hasn't been quite as good at home against the Nashville Predators, who visit Saturday.

The Avalanche only have two victories here against the Predators in the last eight games between the teams.

Colorado won at Nashville on Thursday, 2-1, in the front end of this home-and-home series.

Third-period goals by Ryan Smyth and Ian Laperriere gave the Avalanche a 2-0 lead before Alexander Radulov scored for Nashville with 21 seconds to play.

Peter Budaj was on the verge of his first shutout of the season for Colorado, which saw the Predators' J.P. Dumont miss Jason Arnott with a pass in front of the Avalanche goal in the closing seconds.

Colorado has won three of its last four games, while Nashville has lost four of its last five. The Predators have scored a total of five goals in their last four defeats.

Center Paul Stastny leads the Avalanche with 13 goals and 26 assists. Right wing Martin Erat has a team-high 25 points for Nashville. Center Radek Bonk has a team-high 10 goals for the Predators.

Center Scott Nichol is expected to return to the Nashville lineup after serving a five-game suspension for a blow to the head of Montreal's Patrice Brisebois on December 1.