Eurolanche

Tanguay likely to return against Rangers

Season series: The New York Rangers will go for a two-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche. Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves in a 2-1 win at Pepsi Center on Nov. 6. Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg had second-period goals for New York after Nathan MacKinnon scored on a first-period power play for Colorado.

Avalanche team scope: Colorado didn't practice Wednesday after splitting back-to-back road games against the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils. Coach Patrick Roy said after the 2-1 win at New Jersey on Tuesday that forward Alex Tanguay likely would be ready to play against the Rangers after missing 11 games with a knee injury. In preparation for his return, Colorado sent forward Andrew Agozzino to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Roy will have to decide whether to stick with goalie Reto Berra after he made 27 saves in the win against the Devils or go back to Semyon Varlamov, who allowed four goals in a 5-3 loss to the Islanders on Monday. "We need solid goaltending," Roy said after the win. "We are aware of that. But we still have a lot of confidence in [Varlamov], and I have confidence he will bounce back."

Rangers team scope: Goalie Antti Raanta likely will start the second half of a back-to-back after Lundqvist made 36 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Islanders in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Viktor Stalberg had the only goal on 34 shots. The Rangers are 1-3-1 in their past five games. They felt they played better against the Islanders than they did in a 4-3 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday. "We were doing all the little things right," defenseman Dan Girardi said. "We didn't get the two points, but I think we're pretty happy with our effort."

-- by John Kreiser for NHL.com --