Eurolanche

Predators face Avalanche

The good news for the Nashville Predators is the bout of suspected food poisoning that ravaged the locker room 12 days ago is gone. The bad news is they are still battling for wins as they head into Tuesday's matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Predators (2-5-1) are trying to gain traction on a five-game road trip, which continued with a 4-1 loss in San Jose on Saturday night. Nashville is 0-2-1 on the trip but hopes to turn it around against the Avalanche, who are also striving for consistency.

Colorado lost to Winnipeg 1-0 at home on Friday but bounced back to win 3-2 in Arizona 24 hours later.

The Avalanche (4-3) have been shut out twice during the young season and are averaging less than a goal in their three losses. They are averaging 4.25 goals in their four wins.

Tuesday's game might come down to who is more desperate to find consistency.

"We feel like we're just not playing up to our potential right now," Nashville captain Mike Fisher told The Tennessean. "Individually, as a group, you know we're a better team. When you're not getting the results, it's frustrating."

Getting off to a fast start might help the Predators. They have given up the first goal in seven on their eight games.

"We've got to find a way to come out in these games and score the first goal," Predators coach Peter Laviolette told The Tennessean. "Get a lead and try and build off it from there as opposed to always trying to chase the game from behind or never having that comfort of being up a goal. ... Falling into those holes like that, it's not helping."

The Avalanche have had a strange schedule to start the season but are above .500 with eight home games in November. They opened the season at home on Oct. 15 and then went on a four-game Eastern Conference road trip.

The Avalanche had five days off after their road trip before playing on consecutive nights. They play Tuesday after two days off, but center Matt Duchene probably wishes the team could have played sooner.

Duchene, a notoriously slow starter, has five goals and two assists in the last four games. Playing for Canada in the World Cup of Hockey has helped him get off to a quicker start to this season.

"You start the season at that high level, I think it sets you off in the right direction," Duchene told hockeybuzz.com after practice Monday. "I feel good right now, even since the start of the year when those first few games I didn't get anything. I still felt really good with where I was at. It's part of my job to provide offense and I just have to keep working hard and try to do that."

Duchene might be ready for a breakout season, his eighth despite being just 25. Last year, he had one goal through the first 10 games but finished with a career-high 30.

"After the first 10 games, it was probably the lowest of the low I've ever been," Duchene told hockeybuzz.com. "I wasn't even sure if I could keep playing this game. I've been to the bottom, so nothing really fazed me after that. I was able to keep it pretty even keel the rest of the year. Sometimes you make it too hard in your head."

The Avalanche will play Tuesday with just 22 available players after assigning forward Gabriel Bourque to San Antonio of the AHL. Bourque, who made the team on a professional tryout, signed a two-way contract and had been a healthy scratch the past two games.

-- by Stats LLC for FOX Sports --