Eurolanche

Hawks' Kane can extend streak vs Avs

Season series: The Colorado Avalanche were 3-2-0 in five games against the Chicago Blackhawks last season. Goalie Semyon Varlamov went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .973 save percentage in three starts for Colorado, including 54-save shutout at United Center on Jan. 6. Patrick Kane led the Blackhawks with two goals and four assists in four games.

Avalanche (14-16-1) team scope: Colorado, which did not practice Monday, is expected to start Varlamov, who has won his past three starts and is 4-1-0 with a 1.39 GAA and .958 save percentage in his past five games. Varlamov started both games in the Avalanche's sweep of a road back-to-back set this past weekend at the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues, making 76 saves against 79 shots. He is 10-3-0 with a 1.93 GAA, .946 save percentage and two shutouts in his career against the Blackhawks. Colorado, which is 10-9-0 on the road and 6-2-0 against teams from the Central Division, is aiming to sweep all three games during its road trip. The Avalanche will play 11 of their following 13 games at Pepsi Center, where they're 4-7-1. "I think sometimes at home we try too much, and we want to play too well," coach Patrick Roy told the Avalanche website. "It's just a matter of [staying] composed and just [doing] it like we do on the road."

Blackhawks (17-10-4) team scope: Kane will try to push his point streak to 27 games. The streak is the longest by an American-born player, longest in Blackhawks history and longest in the NHL since 1992-93, when Mats Sundin had a 30-game streak for the Quebec Nordiques. The Blackhawks, who are 15-7-4 during Kane's streak, traded defenseman Trevor Daley to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday for defenseman Rob Scuderi, who has eight goals, 96 assists and a plus-22 rating in 745 NHL regular-season games over 12 seasons. Goalie Corey Crawford, who was named the NHL's First Star of the Week, is expected to start Tuesday. Crawford went 3-0-0 with a 0.33 GAA and .989 save percentage in three starts last week, including back-to-back shutouts at United Center against the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks. Crawford is 4-1-0 in his past five starts, has made 121 saves on 123 shots (.984 save percentage) and hasn't allowed a goal in his past 140:46. "He's been awesome, especially the last four games," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "He's made huge saves when we've needed them. Obviously, we don't want to give up chances, but when we have, he's been there for us."

-- by Brian Hedger for NHL.com --