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After ending slide, Avalanche meet scorching Canucks

Nov 12, 2008 - 12:35 PM Colorado (6-8-0) at Vancouver (9-6-0) 10:00 p.m. EST

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Ticker) -- The Colorado Avalanche are finally back on track, but that momentum may fade quickly.

After a rough stretch of losses, the Avalanche go for their second straight win on Wednesday when they visit the red-hot Vancouver Canucks.

Colorado lost five straight games in regulation before finally ending its slide with a1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Darcy Tucker scored with 4:21 remaining in the second period to lift the the Avalanche to their first victory since claiming a 2-1 shootout win against the Buffalo Sabres on October 25.

Colorado was outscored 21-8 during its slide but Peter Budaj stopped all 26 shots he faced against the Predators to snap a personal four-game losing streak and earn his first shutout of the season.

Whoever starts in net against the Canucks, either Budaj or backup Andrew Raycroft, will have to be at their best. But it seems that scoring goals is the biggest challenge facing the Avalanche as Vancouver enters without having surrendered a goal in any of its last three contests.

Captain Roberto Luongo has logged three straight shutouts, and is coming off a 2-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday in which he made 29 saves.

The 29-year-old netminder, who leads the NHL with five shutouts, stopped all 28 shots he faced during a 1-0 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday after making 24 saves en route to last Tuesday's 4-0 blanking of the Predators.